Born to Be a Vampire
by Just4ALE
Summary: 4th story in the 'American Vampire Series.' Awesome Bella & Dr. Seussward are married now. Smooth sailing, right? Maybe… maybe not. AU/Vampires. My vamps are slightly different from SM's.
1. Two American Vampires in Chicago

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

_**Note: This is the fourth story in my 'American Vampire Series': An American Vampire in Chicago, Sleeps with a Vampire and Call of the Vampire. If you're new to the series, I'd recommend reading the others first.**_

_**For all past readers, welcome back... and we're off!  
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Chapter 1: Two American Vampires in Chicago**

**BPOV**

November, 2007

It was yet another cold November day in Chicago. Luckily, having lived in Chicago for the past few years, I was no stranger to cold days. Once upon a time, when I lived with my mom in Phoenix, snow was something I only saw in the movies and on TV and the cold was a nightmare to me. But now, the cold no longer bothered me, and truthfully, the colder climates were better on my pale skin; I had to sit under the shade whenever I spent any length of time outside or I'd get really tired.

I was excited as I approached the building, looking forward to adding something new to my overall routine. I opened the heavy door to the gothic-looking Ida Noyes Hall and quickly got my bearings once inside. Students were milling around but it cleared out rather quickly. Glancing around, there were empty benches in the alcove to my right. Along that wall, there was some frosted glass that looked into a large dance hall-type space. There above the heavy double wooden doors, I saw the sign: Great Hall.

I found a patch of the frosty glass that was worn away and peeked inside. There they were as anticipated: a sea of bodies in white, moving in tandem. _Wow._

I heard the thoughts before the voice actually spoke.

"Are you going to go in?"

I smiled and looked to my right. A guy was sitting the bench that had just been empty not 20 seconds before. He was looking down at some papers he appeared to be redlining. _Grading them, maybe_. I ignored him and turned back to peek into the room.

The velvety voice spoke again. "Well are you?"

I turned my head back to the right and now saw the grading papers man looking at me.

"I'm thinking about it," I said, turning back to the room.

"What's stopping you?" he asked.

"Um, just assessing the situation," I responded quickly. _Can I do this? _

_Yep, you bet your ass I can._

"Are you a student here?" I heard. I looked at him briefly. He was looking down at his papers again and smirking. Smirking!

I once again focused on the room. "Nope," I answered. The students in the room had grabbed pads and were now taking turns kicking.

"Are you a teacher?" I asked back.

"PhD student, but I'm a Teaching Fellow as well."

I continued to watch the activities in the room. _Wow, these folks need work. _

"So, what's stopping you?"

The voice was now closer to me than before. He was standing next to me, peeking in as well. As near as he was to me, I took in more of his amazing smell… the smell of sunlight-warmed honey and lilac. _Mmmm, so nice._ But I also noticed that he was very close... _Just a touch in the unaware of personal space category_. I moved over a little, a step away.

And then his arms were wrapped around my waist, his nose nuzzling behind my ear and his lips and tongue moving down my neck. He squeezed me tighter to him and I could feel the beginnings of an erection pressing into my backside.

"Um, hello! Someone is a little excited to see me," I said.

"That's not the next line," he murmured, his mouth still on my neck.

God, he knew what that did to me! "Well, my friend, touching me wasn't part of the script either… I don't recall you touching anything but my hand that night," I said leaning into him and wiggling my butt against his growing 'problem.' He groaned. I knew what THAT did to him. _Heh, heh_. I chuckled.

He growled. "Bella, I will take you right here, right now if you don't cut that out."

I whipped around and faced him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Promises, promises…" I whispered. And then I tangled my fingers in his crazy mussed-up copper-brown colored hair and pulled him toward me. "Just kiss me, Edward," I demanded, pressing my body into his.

"As you wish," he said. His hands grabbed my hips roughly and pulled me toward him in an effort to be even closer than we already were. Then he crushed his mouth on mine. Man, Edward's kisses were like paradise. He wasn't teasing before. If we didn't cool it, he'd start to undress me in a second right here in this lobby.

Just then the door to the great hall opened and Edward groaned against my mouth. He stopped kissing me, pulled back an inch or two to look at me and roll his eyes. A man in a gi and black belt with red writing on it stepped out of the room. He looked around and saw me in Edward's arms. "Bella Swan!" he said.

I looked at Edward and winked. "Cullen," I corrected. "Bella Cullen," I said, looking back at my old karate teacher, Renshi Clark. I had to use some force to get Edward to let go a little bit more as we were still embarrassingly joined at the hip. Luckily, I no longer gave off the tell-tale signs of embarrassment by blushing.

"Renshi, I don't know if you remember Edward… my husband?"

I could see Edward's big grin out of my peripheral vision. Two years married and he still loved hearing me call him that. _Hell yeah!_ he thought. _Husband. That's right._

"Yes, I remember seeing you with Bella after training when she was in the business school here. Nice to meet you officially, Edward," he said, reaching out to shake his hand.

In order to shake the Sensei's hand, Edward had to actually let go of me. He sighed in a tone that only he and I could hear and he reluctantly stepped away from me to take Renshi Clark's hand.

"Well Bella, are you ready to get started on learning how to teach these students?"

_Hell yes, I'm going to kick their asses up and down this room! Ah, don't look too confident Bella._ "I hope so. I'm a little nervous," I lied. I pointed at my attire. "I'm afraid that I'm not dressed for much more than watching tonight… I've just returned from a business trip and I didn't have time to change out of this suit."

The Sensei smiled and nodded. "We'll just use the remaining half-hour to let you get a feel for their individual skills and to figure out your intended training style," he said, motioning for me to follow him into the room.

I turned to Edward and decided to finish off our little interrupted recap of our first meeting. I grabbed his hand and shook it quickly. It never ceased to amaze me how any little touch from him could still send a small jolt through my system. I looked back up into his smoldering green eyes and said in our low tone, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Edward."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "It was a pleasure, Bella. I _know_ that I will run into you again." _I love you sweetness. Have a great class. But watch out: your body is mine the minute you get done with class tonight,_ I heard.

I yanked on his hand to pull him closer and gave him another slow, deep kiss. "My body is always yours, Edward," I whispered, nibbling on his ear. I turned to go and then stopped, looked back at him and said, "Happy anniversary! I'll see you in about an hour."

As he turned to leave, I heard him again. _Bella comes back home to play, Edward fucks her night and day…_

_Wha!_ That one shot a wave of desire straight through me. "Promises, promises, Mr. Cullen," I whispered, knowing he'd hear me as I followed the Sensei into the class.

I could hear him chuckling as he walked out the building door._ Ah, Love, you know that I always make good on my promises..._

~#~

It had been exactly four years since we met right in this very spot and Edward, being the romantic that he was, liked to relive the events to celebrate the day that he met his 'soul mate.' Soul mate: odd choice of words considering that for a long time, he didn't believe that he had a soul. Heck, when we first met, he didn't even believe in God. But after our reunion in the studio above the garage in our house in Forks back in August 2005, his whole perspective on the matter changed.

In the words of ye olde Talking Heads, 'well, how did I get here?' Here's TheMovieSpoiler-dotcom cut-to-the-chase version:

Boy meets girl. Boy watches girl. Boy falls in love with girl and eventually asks girl to marry him. Boy and girl have a lot of sex. Girl gets pregnant but miscarries. Boy loses control, bites and starts to drain girl – almost killing her – and leaves her, devastating them both.

'Boy' was a 17-year old… who had been a vampire for almost 90 years, by the way. At the time that all this went down, he had been on the planet for 104 years. And this boy was basically a superhero. Like most civilized vampires, he refrained from drinking blood from live humans, instead sustaining himself via the vamp network of blood banks or drinking animal blood. Like all vampires, he had super hearing, speed and strength. He could manipulate weak minds with just his sultry, luring voice. He also had other talents. He had telekinesis; essentially, he had The Force. Moreover, he could read all minds, except for one.

And then there was 'Girl,' whom they shortly discovered in their time together was a vampire magnet. Not only had she attracted the attention of one Mr. Edward Cullen, horny vampire extraordinaire, but also a number of nomadic vampires, Edward's old 'friend' James, a clan in Paris and a different clan in Volterra. After a series of "unfortunate incidents", there were a number of times when Girl – 26-year old University of Chicago Business school student-later-graduate Bella Swan – had to drink vampire blood in order to survive.

Before that fateful day when Edward abandoned me in the middle of the night, he used to bite me. A lot. And it was fabulous. A 'love bite' as it is called, is conducted in the heat the moment and is ecstasy for the human. Drinking my blood in such a fashion addressed his two basic needs: food and sex… at the same time! Kind of like breakfast in bed, I guess, but for the fact that we weren't physically in a bed half of the time that we were intimate. One night he went too far and got scared. That's when he left.

Drinking Edward's blood for me, on the other hand, was not about sex at the time, but rather survival. Vampire blood has the ability to heal a human. So he, and later his 'brother' Jasper, saved me three times over those first two years. I healed from my wounds alright… and I also gained something else. Their powers. I was able to read Edward's dirty little mind. I was able to manipulate energy like he did... and I absorbed the feelings/emotions of others around me, thanks to Jasper's blood. Give me a tight little spandex costume and I could have been one of the X-Men.

Edward and I were apart for three months until one steamy, emotionally-charged night when we reunited in a house his family had built for me in my hometown of Forks. On that night, he turned me into a vampire via blood sharing. Let me tell you: that was one freakin' painful process, but at least it was completed in less than half a day!

We got married twice later that year… twice because we needed to compromise over the type of ceremony that each of us wanted. The first ceremony was held in Las Vegas exactly two years after our first meeting. Just me and Edward. No one else around. That was MY ideal wedding.

The second ceremony was held just under two months later, on New Year's Eve 2005 at our house in Forks. Edward's 'sister' Alice arranged the whole event and thankfully kept it relatively small at around 35 guests, but reining her in took some work.

No sooner were we back from Vegas when Alice hounded me about the guest list. And the flowers. And the food, which was a joke because most of the guests were going to be vampires. I spent a lot of time with her on our vampire Batphone internet video connection 'discussing' the details.

"Alice, you know I don't give a shit about any of this girly stuff. I'm good with whatever you and Edward plan. All I ask is that you don't put me in a poufy dress! I'll even wear what I wore in Vegas. That was lovely."

"Isabella Marie Cullen!" she began, the impish grin rapidly dissolving off of her face. "You will not wear that simple dress for a black tie affair. How can you not care about your wedding day?"

_I will not growl, I will not growl, I will not growl._ "I had my wedding day last week," I reminded her.

"Okay, how can you not care about Edward's wedding day?"

_I'm gonna growl, I'm gonna growl, I'm gonna growl. Deep breath. Woo-sah._ "Alice, that's hitting below the belt. A) He had a wedding day last week as well. I should know, because he was there with me. B) You know that I care about making it special for him, but I'm not good at this. I never dreamed of my wedding day. The one in Vegas was all I ever wanted. So I defer to you two. My only request: make the day about him, not me."

"Bella, you're the bride. It centers around you whether you like it or not."

I'd had it. "Ok." I said curtly. "Forgive me dear Jasper for what I'm about to do…" I heard Edward's 'brother' and 'sister' Emmett and Rosalie snickering in the background.

I growled at her.

"ALICE! It centers around Edward – or, if you must, the both of us – or I'm not coming!"

4,000 fucking flowers, a three tiered cake, an Alice Cullen original A-line dress with custom beading and 35 attendees later, we had a wedding. And I will admit, it was classy and elegant.

Our guests came from all over the world to be there. From my family, I had my mom Renee and her husband Phil and my dad Charlie and his girlfriend Sue and her son Seth. I also invited three business school friends: Leah, Eric and Ben. While Leah and Eric brought dates, Ben came alone... which was actually a good thing, because he hit it off with my former BCG cubicle-mate and good friend Angela that night. Rounding out my side of the guests were my college roommate Nicole and my former BCG manager, mentor and maid of honor Serena and her boyfriend Marco. Sisters to the end, I took one look at Serena when she showed up and she at me and we just laughed. I guess Serena decided that she wasn't going past age 28 for the rest of her life, choosing to become a vampire to stay with the gorgeous Italian vamp Marco.

Then there was Edward's side. Obviously, the entire Cullen family was there, with Edward's 'father' Carlisle serving as Edward's best man, Jasper and Emmett acting as ushers seating people and Alice and Rosalie and his 'mother' Esme fiddling about making sure I looked okay and that the last minute details were in order. It was nice to meet so many of the Cullen family's civilized vampire friends, several of whom had helped Edward through our time apart. In attendance were Peter and Charlotte, who were residing in Buenos Aires at the time, Liam, Siobhan and Maggie from Ireland, and Benjamin and Tia from Egypt. Moreover, Kate and Garrett joined us from Denali, bringing two other friends who relocated up there, Eleazar and Carmen. Lastly, but probably most surprisingly, two of Edward's old… 'conquests': Irina and Tanya attended as well.

I found that I couldn't hold a grudge against Tanya, despite the fact that she and Edward had been involved more than once over their years and that she tried to take him from me soon after we'd started dating. In the end, she was one of the driving forces convincing him to come back to me after he tried to make a booty call with her in San Francisco.

I don't EVEN want to go into it with you about what happened when I learned about that little escapade. I'm trying to tell you about my freakin' happy second wedding day! _I will not say the fuck word, I will not say the fuck word, I will not say the fuck word._

Suffices it to say that a little poem I made up for Edward turned out to be prophetic; Edward's hand did become his best friend there for a little while.

The only one who I really wished could be there was my old friend Jacob Black. We owed a lot to him for contributing to our reunion since he essentially stepped aside for Edward to make me happy, but I felt it was too soon and I didn't invite him.

The wedding had all the traditional events: father walking daughter down the aisle and handing her over to the most stunning and ecstatic groom ever to walk this earth. First dance to the song Edward sang to me during my conversion: Genesis's "Follow You, Follow Me". A father-daughter dance where Charlie claimed his watery eyes were due to allergies. A mother-son dance with Esme beaming at Edward, overjoyed to see him with his match at last. The cutting of the cake, which 2/3 of the guests pretended to eat. The removal of the garter belt, with Edward on all fours pulling it off in his typically horny fashion, practically crawling up under my dress to get it as he thought his nasty thoughts at me:

_There once was a vampire named Eddie,__  
Who needed to hold his wife steady.  
As he crawled underneath,  
Removed the garter with his teeth  
And licked her until she was ready._

_Great._ I thought, as he grinned at me with the garter in his mouth. _He's added limericks to his poetic repertoire. _

During the course of the reception, I spent time getting to know some of the other vampires, in particular Eleazar and Carmen. Well, actually, Eleazar spent time trying to get to know me. At first I found his stare to be very disconcerting. Looking at Edward, I mentally asked him what was up with this guy. Edward chuckled and clarified the situation.

"Eleazar has powers too, Love. He can determine the powers that others have."

Eleazar looked around and then down at me again. "Carlisle has amassed quite a powerful family. He already has a telekinetic mind reader, an emotion manipulator and an oracle, and now you've married a shield!"

"A shield?" I repeated.

"Yes, I think so. You're mentally blocking me," he said, smiling. "Edward, she must be doing it to you too, no?"

"Well, I never was able to read her mind even when she was human. Okay, that is not quite true. Only when her energy level was escalated to a high enough point could I hear her. But she was always so controlled." Edward beamed at me, his eyes looking at me with pride and love. "She's amazing. She was able to walk among humans within two weeks of turning."

Eleazar's eyes widened. "Impressive."

I smiled. "Nah, not really… not with the blood bank product." I shrugged. "Anyway, so what if I can block thoughts? I'm not doing it intentionally!"

"But Bella, you can control that," Edward pointed out. He looked at Eleazar. "She can willingly stop blocking me." Then he looked back at me and smiled. "She got her other powers from me."

Eleazar's eyes narrowed. "She acquired your powers? How?"

Edward grimaced, not wanting to remember what happened. "Blood intake after some accidents. She can read my mind all of the time and she can read others as well."

"But I tend to shut the others out," I added, "for the sake of their privacy and mine."

"And telekinesis too?"

"She's REALLY good at that," Edward said, looking at me wickedly. "Her power to read emotions came from Jasper."

"This all came through ingestion? You do know that that isn't typical, don't you? I turned Carmen through blood sharing," he said, looking at his wife with love, "but she didn't gain my abilities." Eleazar ran his fingers through his hair. "A very powerful vampire indeed," he said looking at me with a mixture of respect and curiosity.

I looked around the room at the guests. All in all, it was an impressive consolidation of vampire superpowers, with Kate, Marco, Maggie, Benjamin, Siobhan, Jasper, Alice, Edward, me and Eleazar. Shit, all we were missing was a Hall of Justice and the Wonder Twins. "Well," I said, "I'm clearly in good company here in this room." My mom and dad beckoned to me. "Please excuse me."

After the wedding, life went on as per normal. Edward continued to work at the biological research lab and was finishing up his PhD in Biology. I continued to work at my consulting job at BCG. As my mind was so much faster now, I progressed quickly and was promoted twice in the two year period.

However, the job was boring me and I wanted more. I found that my time in my studio at the house helped as I boxed, did Karate and worked on dance routines. Of course I had ample time to spend with the man-who-kept-on-going-and-going, his crazy Green-Eggs-and-Ham horn-dog poems and his sneaky attempts to anger me working in his favor to get me aroused.

And that was how I ended up back at University of Chicago, taking on some of Renshi Clark's Karate class schedule… as something to add variety to my daily routine. After the class ended, I made my way home. The house was dark when I parked in the driveway, but Edward's car was parked there as well. Picking up his scent as I made my way up the stairs to the front door, I knew that he was home.

I stepped into the house, set my suitcase down and let the door shut behind me. Then I heard a voice.

"Take it off, Bella," he said in a low sultry tone.

_Oh my. _

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A/N: Oh my, indeed. What is Edward up to now?**

**So, they're baaaaccck. And so am I. Thank you to all of you who 'favorited' me or my stories and/or who put me on author alert after COTV. Again, it was a surprise to learn how many were reading the stories. Sooo many more than who actually reviewed! **_**(I will not growl, I will not growl, I will not growl. LOL.)**_

**Thank you to Irritable Grizzzly for not only convincing me to try a Beta but also for volunteering and for going back to my past three stories and performing her Beta magic on those.**

**Unlike our dynamic duo, I have to ask to hear your thoughts! Please tell me! **


	2. Something In The Way She Moves

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE****.**

**And although I neglected to mention it in any of the previous stories, it should be blatantly obvious that I don't own Yoda or Star Wars. Damn it... I WISH they were mine.  
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**Chapter 2: Something In the Way She Moves**

**EPOV**

"Take it off, Bella," I said when she walked into the dark house and closed the door. She had been away on a business trip for a week and had stopped at that Karate class just to get the initial introductions and skill set determination out of the way.

I'd missed her so much. It was amazing how her absence for even a day left me longing for her. My body craved her.

I ghosted around, knowing that she could sense me. I kept moving. I'd been planning this all week.

She stood in the entryway and laughed lightly. "You're not the boss of me, Edward," I could hear the smile in her tone. She was correct: I was not the boss of her. Between the two of us, she was the one who wielded the power in this relationship. I couldn't help but smile. Nevertheless, I continued.

"Take it off," I said once again, my tone menacingly threatening. She knew what I wanted and I knew my stubborn little wife… she'd be damned if she would give in that easily.

"Or what?" she asked, as she slowly made her way from the front door down the hall. She could have ghosted as well but she chose to walk human, purposely letting her heels clack against the hardwood floor. I knew that she was planning to tease me; she typically removed her shoes at the front door but she chose to leave them on and let me hear that she had on her high-heeled pumps. From the sound of it, they were a pair of her Robert Clergerie four inch heels. _Nice._

"Or I'll tie you up," I said. Like that would scare her. We had figured out how much she actually liked being tied up in our first year of marriage. She'd tried to hide her prisoner/captivity fetish from me but her mind slipped once.

"Promises, promises, Cullen," she said softly, making her way into the kitchen. "Not good enough. What else ya got for me?"

God, she was making me crazy with that soft seductive tone she was using. I knew where she was headed and I was following.

"Or I'll bite you," I answered. Obviously that wasn't a threat at all. I just wanted to hear her comeback.

"Yeah? Bring it on, baby," she said chuckling as she put her briefcase on the kitchen counter. "Ah, bite me." Now that neither of us ate food, the kitchen's purpose had shifted dramatically; it was used as a place to store her briefcase and purse and yet another place for us to enjoy each others' company.

She put her hands up on the counter, her arms stretched out on both sides of her body. I knew that she could feel my presence standing in the hallway behind her. She knew me well. She knew what I'd do next.

"Take it off," I said yet again.

She took off her suit jacket and hung it on one of the barstools. "There," she said, "it is off."

I uttered a low growl. "You know what I mean," I said. I knew what my growls did to her… My growls affected her in the same way that her growls affected me. I could smell her instant arousal, but I could tell that she still wasn't going to give in easily.

With her back still toward me, she reached for the hem of her short-sleeved sweater and pulled it off of her head. Then she threw it behind her, where it landed at my feet. "There," she breathed, putting her hands back on the counter. "Happy now?"

"No…" I said, trying to sound a little more menacing. "Off, Bella. Take it off."

"You take it off," she said. Then I felt my polo shirt hem being lifted up and I raised my arms allowing her to do a quick Jedi disrobing as she mentally removed my shirt. As soon as my shirt hit the floor, I was behind her, pressing her up against the counter, my bare chest against her almost bare back. I put my hands over hers on the counter.

"Not good enough, Bella. All off, or else," I whispered in her ear.

"Or else what?" she breathed.

I slowly moved my hands up her arms, across her shoulders, caressing her as they made their way down her shoulder blades and then around the side of her ribs to the front, cupping her breasts. I pulled her in more tightly to my body. "Or, I'll bend you over this counter and take you right here," I murmured as I lightly kissed her left shoulder.

She stiffened for the briefest of moments before she spoke. Her tone was both sultry and threatening. "You'd better not be talking backdoor, Mr. Cullen," she breathed. "Don't even think of trying that 'It slipped' bullshit again. You fucking do that again without lubricant and a hell of a lot of foreplay and I'll get you. I warned you last time."

_Backdoor, hmmm._

"Yeah, you go ahead and think about it. Payback is a bitch, Cullen. I KNOW you don't want that," she whispered. "It is all fun and games until someone gets a vibrator up his ass." How she made that threat seductive, I have no idea… but I was practically drooling after that comment.

Despite my growing arousal and the seductive tones that were playing out in this house since she walked in, I couldn't help but chuckle. I remembered that night that I 'slipped' and I remembered her surprise. Talk about an angry tigress!

"_HOLY… YOW!" she yelped that night. "Edward, WHAT THE FUCK?" _

"_Oh God, Bella, it slipped."_

"_Yeah, right!" she said, rolling away from me. "Edward, you have Crocodile Dundee precision accuracy... Do not tell me that you can't figure out where to put that when you're two inches away from me!"_

_I laughed, despite the trouble I was about to be in. "Bella, you can read my mind. You know that I didn't plan that; you would have had some warning had it been intentional."_

_Her eyes narrowed. She knew that I really hadn't planned it… However, I wasn't upset about the slip-up. In fact, I thought it was awesome._

"_Ah ha… there!" she said, pointing at me as she heard that last thought. "I knew it! What the hell is up with men and their fantasies? I think you all ought to spend some time in prison taking it that way and see how much YOU like having something shoved up where the sun don't shine!"_

_I reached out and grabbed the hand that was pointing at me. "Prison, huh?"And I quickly shackled that wrist in one of the handcuffs on the bedpost._

Suddenly I was jolted out of this fantastic flashback to the present as I felt my pants unzipping and slipping down to my ankles. She mentally helped me step out of them. As soon as I was free, I pressed back up against her. She could feel my erection poking her. I moved my hands down the outside of her skirt until I hit the hem and then worked my way up her thighs underneath. My fingers hit the edge of her panties; pushing them aside, I fingered her, going deep inside. _Yes, just as I thought._ "You're so ready for me, Bella," I whispered, nibbling on her earlobe. "Why are you denying what I want?" I asked, swirling my fingers once before slowly removing them.

She moaned and then she reached to the side of her skirt, unzipped it and let it fall to her ankles, stepping out of it. She turned and pushed me away gently so that I could take her all in. She gestured at herself as my eyes roamed up and down her body from her head to her heels. _Fuck, the lacy navy bra and hiphuggers! And the thigh high stockings. Damn Bella, you look so beautiful._

The woman could seduce me with a look and she knew it. She bit her lip and looked up at me through her eyelashes. "Enough?"

And THERE was the look. _Shit._

I tried to maintain my composure but I knew that the tide was turning. "All of it," I responded as I mentally slid her bra straps off of her shoulders.

I could see the wicked gleam in her eye. "Two can play at that game, Mr. Cullen," she said as my underwear slid off of me. _Oh no… I mean, OH YES! And well, oh no as well._

I knew what was next. Two can play at that game… true, but this was a game that she intended to – and would – win.

Then I felt her. Mentally, she had her hands on my erection and those invisible hands started moving. Yes, that was what I thought was coming… She was able to do this fairly soon after turning while I was still learning how to combine our gift with these erotic actions; I could do it but I lost control when I got too aroused. I groaned and was momentarily stunned. With my eyes narrowed, I watched her as she walked around me still in her bra and underwear, long stockings and heels, headed to the music room.

I followed her and watched her beautiful body glide across the hardwood floors. Stopping at the baby grand piano, she hopped up so that she was sitting on top, her legs crossed, looking at me. She gestured to the piano bench. "Play for me."

I sat down on the bench and admired her silhouette. Then she began her Jedi blow-job routine.

I groaned. "Ungh… fuck, Bella…"

"Play for me or I'll stop," she threatened.

_How the hell am I supposed to play like this?_

"Snap to it, Cullen. You're a vampire. What happened to all this mental ability?" she asked, teasingly. Mental ability? When I was around her, I thought of only one thing. Jesus, the effect she had on me! I looked at her profile. She was staring across the room and smirking. Smirking!

She was right… I was a vampire and had been a vampire for so much longer. My family looked to me, next to Carlisle, as a model of control… and yet here I was, sitting with a two-year old vampire and she had me by the balls. Literally.

When had I lost the upper hand? As much as I wanted to believe that it was a recent phenomenon - I had been the driver of our sexcapades when she was human after all - I would have been lying to myself. I knew when… exactly four years ago, November 2003. The night I met her. Alice's vision that night was dead-on accurate. This one was important. Bella was special. She changed my… life… for the better. Since I turned her, I no longer thought of this as an endless existence… I now thought of it as a life, one that I was building with her.

Somehow, I managed to speak. "What do you want to hear?" I asked, huskily.

"Just play. If it isn't what I want, you'll know."

_Fuck. Me._

She turned her head and looked me in the eyes. "We'll get to that…"

I started to play Clair de Lune. The blow job stopped. _Fuck._

"Try again," she whispered. I felt her mouth on me again.

I switched to the lullaby I wrote for her. Again, she stopped. _Shit. This is exquisite torture._

She continued to gaze at me. "The _third_ time is bound to be the charm, Edward." She re-initiated her work on my raging hard-on.

_Edward._ I loved when she breathed my name. I stared back into her eyes and began to play. Genesis. Tony Banks. "Firth of Fifth".

She inhaled and smiled. Still watching me, she reached around and unhooked her bra, slowly removing it from her body and dropping it on the floor. Then she slid her fingers into the waistband of her panties and lifted herself up slightly to slide them off of her ass and down her legs. She sat naked in front of me but for the stockings and heels. She licked her bottom lip and cocked her head. "Okay?"

I was up in a flash, ghosting to her. "Still not good enough," I growled, reaching for her knees and separating them as I stood between them. I rubbed my hands back and forth on her thighs.

"I think I need some incentive," she whispered.

I slid my hands up her thighs, up her pelvis, tenderly caressing her ribs, moving across her breasts up to her shoulders as I pushed her down gently so that she was lying back on the piano. Then I let my mouth, hands and fingers play her. My lips and tongue worked their way down her body until I settled into my favorite spot. Taking her legs and putting them over my shoulders, I licked and sucked, my tongue pushing deep into her. Her hands grabbed my hair as her hips moved upward trying to get even closer to my mouth.

I stopped and looked up at her. _God, I love the view from this angle. It is so damn sexy._ She lifted herself up onto her elbows and opened her eyes to meet mine. "Does that help?" I asked, my tongue reaching out for another lick while I watched her.

"Yes…" she breathed, and she lifted her mental shield.

I continued to lick and suck and play her with my tongue and fingers as she allowed me to see into her mind and take in how this made her feel. Seeing into her mind when we were together like this was like seeing myself screwing her in a mirror...

What can I say? I'm a guy. We're visually stimulated and we LOVE that shit.

_Fuck._ It was too much for me. A week away from her had been seven days too many. My fangs came out instantly and I bit her inner thigh.

"Oh God!" she gasped as I sucked the blood from her leg. _Jesus. So sweet._ Not a human anymore and still so sweet. It tasted the same as the very first time. In fact, at times it almost looked closer in color to her human blood than to our darker, almost bluish-colored blood.

_Thank you, God._ Yeah, I was giving Him a lot of praise more often ever since she came back to me.

Her body arched and stretched. She moaned and I could see and hear her thoughts as she rode out the initial high of the bite. _OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod! _

Bella got very repetitive when extremely aroused...

Then she sat up, taking her legs off of my shoulders, sliding down toward the edge of the piano and wrapping herself around my body. I positioned myself right at her entrance and thrust in just at the moment that she pulled my neck toward her mouth and bit down.

Her mouth vibrated on my neck as she moaned. It was too much for both of us. Mentally we were peering into each others' heads; it was as if we were joined everywhere. I was inside of her and around her; with the bite, she was inside of me… within every pore of my body.

Squeezing her legs tighter around me, she pulled me closer rocking against my thrusts again and again. Then she let go of my neck and reached for my hands, clasping each separately and putting them down on her waist. She looked up into my eyes. The intensity was almost overwhelming. _Come for me, Edward._

I nodded as I thrust once more and spilled out inside of her. "Bella, my love…" I whispered.

_Edward-Edward-Edward-Edward-Edward,_ she answered back, chanting internally as her walls pulsed around me, her deep brown eyes meeting my gaze.

Of all the ways we could be together, this was my favorite. When she removed her mental veil so that I could experience what she was experiencing, I could hear and feel what she was feeling, it was more than I could take and yet it was what I always wanted. The one being whose mind was closed to me most of the time was the one being whose thoughts I wanted to share most of all. The emotion, the connection, the oneness of it all. My heart felt like it would burst from the love that was pouring out of me.

I felt alive.

I felt human.

Only she made me feel this way.

When I could speak, I let go of our clasped hands and touched her face. "Happy Anniversary, my love," I said, kissing her lips softly. "Welcome home. I missed you."

She smiled, "Likewise."

"You haven't asked for that song in a while," I said. "Why today?"

"I was thinking about you and our anniversary and I was playing it on the plane ride back."

I smiled. "Were you thinking about our first time and my ice skating on the pond?"

"Well, it started out that way…"

I stopped her. "Are you thirsty love? I forgot to ask, I was so excited to see you."

"A little, yes. Just pour one and I'll have a little sip of yours."

I walked out to the living room bar and poured a generous cordial for us to share. Walking back in, I could see her eyes looking up and down my naked body. I did the same, admiring her sitting so poised, cross-legged on the piano. _God, I want you again._

Hearing this, she laughed and reached for the glass. She raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. I leaned against the piano, stroking her leg. Lowering the glass, I noticed a little drop of blood on her upper lip. I moved in quickly and flicked my tongue over that lip to help wipe it off.

She smiled again and then continued. "Anyway, I started playing the song and the ice skating images didn't come." She handed the glass to me and I raised the glass to my lips. "Instead, a new dance appeared."

I gulped down the mouthful I just took and stilled my hand on her leg, "Really?"

She nodded, her eyes gleaming, a sly smile on her face.

"What kind of dance? Can I see it?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, it is not quite finished, but it's close."

I loved seeing Bella's inner choreography. It was amazing whenever she lifted her shield so that I could experience it with her before she actually put it into action in the studio. "Please?"

She looked around the room, her eyes scanning quickly.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Handcuffs."

_What?_

She smirked at me, hearing my reaction. "If you want to see it, you need to stay away from me."

My mouth started tingling. _My God, what has she thought up now?_

"You have to cuff me for this dance?" I managed to say.

"If you want me to be able to concentrate to show you…"

I managed to pull my jaw from its slacked state as I closed my mouth. I put my right hand up. "I promise to be good… or at least I'll try."

"No. 'Do… or do not. There is no try,'" she said, gazing at me steadily.

_Great, now she's MY sexual Yoda._

She hopped off the piano and walked to the stereo, still naked but for the thigh highs and heels. _Jesus, I think I really do need to be cuffed._

"I told you," she said as she reached for the stereo controls.

I folded my arms and planted my feet. "I'm standing right here."

She forwarded the live medley to the section with Firth of Fifth as she did the first time she showed me the song. "I'll let the beginning part play, just to work up to it… and to let you cool down."

The lighter, happier part – the one I had just played – streamed through the stereo. As the slower part began – the part that I had always thought conveyed more longing – she stood with her head down, her back to me on the other side of the piano. Her bottom half was obscured by the piano and only her bare back and shoulders were visible, her hair cascading over them.

And once again, she removed her mental shield for me to see the dance she imagined in her head.

_Holy Mary Mother of God._

Actually, I'd started praising God's whole family since she came back to me.

I cleared my throat. "Rhumba?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Mostly," she said as her shoulders swayed slightly to the music, "with a little tango movement in parts."

_The mind this woman has. Jesus Dancing Christ! _

Let me tell you, I was always a damn good dancer in her imagination.

In this visualization, she was dressed in one of these ridiculous "Dancing with the Stars" underwear sets barely covered by strips of cloth that looked like a ripped bedsheet. Ridiculous... but HOT! I was never going to mock her watching that show again.

_Fuck me. This is like porn. Fully-dressed dancing porn._

I saw some J-Lo-Richard Gere movie a while back – she made me watch it with her – in which the rhumba was described as a 'vertical expression of a horizontal wish.'

Yeah.

_Screw that. I'm taking her vertically._

I was on her and had her across the room on the narrow decorative table against the wall in under a second. Books went crashing off the table as I slid her along it.

She gasped. "Edward, you promised!"

My lips caressed hers. "Bella, can you keep showing me?" I murmured.

"I can try," she said breathlessly.

I was so far gone, that I was barely able to speak. I growled in her ear. "Do. Or do not. There is no FUCKING try," I said, as I thrust into her and heard her moan.

It was a wild vision that was swirling around me. I could see the dance and the erotically beautiful choreography to this unusual pick for a song in my head. And I saw her face so close to mine. Her full lips were partly open, her eyes heavy lidded, looking at me.

I thrust again and again, using the rhythm of the song, almost syncing my movements.

She inhaled sharply. She was losing control. _Edward. I can't keep…_

I nodded my understanding. Shit, she lasted longer than I ever would have been able to do.

The rhumba vision disappeared. We were all that I saw in her mind and in mine. We were all that I felt.

It was lips and tongues and skin and hands and hair and arms and legs and cock and pussy and thrusting and hard and fast and wet and tight and moaning and groping and passion and feeling.

And it was her.

And it was me.

And it was us.

I heard her words in my head over and over as we danced against this wall… Her silent vulgar chant was pushing me to the brink. I wanted control now. I really wanted to hear it.

I grabbed her hair roughly and pulled it back with a tug to make her open her eyes and look at me.

"Say it Bella. Out loud," I growled. "Say it."

Her eyes focused. They were dark and full of desire. "Fuck me, Edward," she breathed.

And with that she took back control. She could level me with a glance or send me over the edge with just those three words.

I thrust again and, throwing her head back, she climaxed around me. "EDWARD!" she cried.

Out loud.

_God bless her._

I thrust once more and groaned as I came harder than before. I leaned my forehead against her shoulder. _Bella._

It was us.

At that moment, about three things I was absolutely positive:

One: Bella was meant to be a choreographer and she needed to make a career change. Soon.

Two: There was a part of her, and I don't know how dormant that part was, that probably knew it to be as true as well.

And Three: She was going to teach me that fucking awesome dance.

~#~#~

I threw her over my shoulder and ran with her into the studio.

* * *

**A/N: Hi. Ostrich here. ALE's head is buried in the sand hiding. She says please leave a review. Thanks.**

**And she says thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly for her beta work!  
**

_Post A/N: It wouldn't be an ALE story if we didn't have a Genesis song on YouTube. This is the same song as on the pond in AAVIC. ELIOREYES has the best version. It is listed as: Firth of Fifth - Düsseldorf - 2007 Tour – Genesis. Bella's rhumba dance starts at 1:28. And their, um, activities start at 2:55.  
_


	3. Sioux Names Revisited

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.** **Goody Two Shoes belongs to Adam Ant. And the 'Friend Code' is leveraged from Tru Blood – the beverage.**

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Chapter 3: Sioux Names Revisited  
**

**BPOV**

'Smacks Annoying Faces'.

Several months before I got involved with Edward, that was the Sioux name I had given myself.

One night during my first year of B'school, shortly after the Fall trimester began, I invited my Summer session friends Eric, Leah, Ben and Tyler over for margaritas, tacos and Dances with Wolves. In our semi-inebriated state, we started coming up with Sioux names for ourselves. At the time, several of our new classmates in the program were already annoying the crap out of me with their know-it-all attitudes and I wanted to kick the shit out of them. However, it was early on in the program and I didn't want to let on about my temper with any future business colleagues. So I toned it down: 'Smacks Annoying Faces'. Once I started taking Karate, the name stuck.

Of course, after Edward and I began our relationship, I changed it to 'Sleeps With a Vampire'. Not that I could admit that to my B'school friends; obviously, I kept that one to myself. However, since my … status… had changed, the name really didn't work anymore.

"What are you thinking, Love?" he asked, as we lay on the mats in the studio. I had just tried teaching him my new dance, per his request. Edward was a great dancer, his moves always so graceful… when I could get him to actually focus. One minute he had been matching my rhumba moves just as I imagined in my head, the next he decided that he needn't bother with vertically expressing his horizontal wish when we could just get horizontal on the studio floor. It took only a few seconds for him to rip off the workout clothes we'd just put on for the dance and take me fast and hard right there.

I lay on my back trying, rather unsuccessfully, not to get aroused again as Edward lay next to me, his head propped up on his left hand as he ran his right index and middle fingers slowly up and down my body in a straight line from my lips to pelvis and back, never losing contact with my skin. "You've closed your mind off again," he said, lightly chastising me as his eyes followed the movement of his fingers.

"I need a new Sioux name," I replied.

"That's what you were thinking?"

"Well, I wasn't thinking it a few minutes ago, no. It's just the tail end of a train of thought that randomly popped into my head. I was actually thinking how much more 'active' we are now that I'm a vampire and I no longer require sleep… And then it occurred to me that 'Sleeps With a Vampire' is a bit outdated for me now."

His eyes left his hand movements and looked at me curiously.

I continued. "For one, technically I don't sleep anymore." He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The original context wasn't about 'sleeping,' per se, but the double entendre worked, you know? So removing the nightly mental shut down that my human self once experienced makes the statement less… clever, I guess."

I could hear him thinking about it as his fingers kept moving up and down my body slowly, his eyes returning back to his movements. "Hmmm… 'Makes Love to a Vampire'?" His hand dipped below my pelvis and he slowly inserted one long finger into me. I hissed and held my breath as his eyes flashed to meet my gaze. "'Aroused By a Vampire'? he suggested, smiling a seductive smile as he moved his now wet finger back up my body.

Belly button.

Breast bone.

Collarbone.

Neck.

Chin.

Lips.

Surprising him, I opened my mouth and lifted my head slightly to take his finger and suck on it, tasting myself on him. As my tongue played with the finger in my mouth, I looked up at him, giving him the big wide 'innocent' eyes I knew turned him on.

Shit, anything I did turned him on when it came right down to it.

I could feel his desire increasing once again, so I knew I needed to get ahead of it if I wanted to drive. And this time I wanted to drive.

I gently pushed his hand away, removing his finger from my mouth. Then, rolling onto my right side to face him, I hitched my left leg over his body. Before he could react, I pushed his right shoulder down to the mat so that he was lying on his back and I flipped up quickly so that I was hovering over him on my hands and knees.

I brought my head closer to his to whisper in his ear. "'Fucks a Vampire'?" I suggested, and then I pulled back to look at him.

His eyes flashed his excitement. I knew what I was doing; Edward loved to hear me swear. _Damn Bella_, he thought as not-so-little Edward snapped to attention underneath me. I could feel the tip of his erection right at my entrance, and I heard his intent before his upward thrusting movement, just in time for me to pull my body away from him a little more. When I was human, Edward had generally been the initiator and driver of our sexcapades. Since my turning, I had been having fun in my attempts to get us more on an equal footing. I wanted control this time.

"Tsk, tsk," I said, teasing him.

"How about 'Cock Teases a Vampire'?" he asked, growling.

_What the hell? Cock tease? Was he not with me for the past five hours?_

I carefully pushed back the mini flare up of anger I felt. If I let it go, he'd be in the driver's seat again.

"Aw, now," I said as I leaned in for a kiss. "You REALLY shouldn't have said that," I said, grinning, as I pushed myself up off of the mat and turned to walk out of the studio, leaving him groaning on the floor…

~#~

So I have a small confession to make: I'm not quite the 'goody two shoes' that I once was... or rather, that I once appeared to be.

I used to be a 'good' girl, very much walking a straight and narrow path on the road of life. I commanded the respect of my classmates when I was voted Most Likely to Succeed and Biggest Brain at Forks High School. With the threat of having the Chief of Police and his big gun trained on them, guys stayed away from me and my Big Brain. So I went to Dartmouth pure and innocent. Somehow I made it through the four years still pretty innocent.

As a human, I had no real vices to speak of. I didn't court danger. No driving super-fast. I always made sure I took a cab rather than drive if I drank. At the time, I was convinced that Adam Ant could have been singing about me with some of his old "Goody Two Shoes" lyrics.

But have you ever seen the original video?

Adam Ant's character had no major visible vices to speak of. Everyone had a certain impression of him that he didn't try to shake, but when you watch the video, he's actually seducing one of the reporters accusing him of being this Goody Two Shoes.

_Don't drink, don't smoke - what do you do?_

Screw his brains out, apparently.

So, yeah, Adam wasn't really as 'good' as he seemed to be. And somewhere beneath my "good girl" exterior neither was I. At least I didn't want to be. I just was.

So what drove the 'good'? I'd like to say that it was a desire to please my parents, for them to be proud of me, and to never disappoint them… but that would be only partially true.

The fact of the matter was that I was an extremist, plain and simple.

I know this revelation might seem a little out of character for me because I generally seemed so calm and reserved, but it really shouldn't be.

Because the one thing I've always identified with is a Vulcan, and those Star Trek Vulcans are the ultimate extremists. They were known for their icy exteriors and their logical, unemotional approaches to their daily lives. But it wasn't that Vulcans didn't have emotions… they just had superior control over them. They had to, because their natural emotions were more volatile and erratic than humans.

Hmmm: volatile and erratic emotions. Does that sound like anyone you know?

So yeah, I was an extremist. I didn't do things in moderation. If I did something, I did it whole-hog.

I didn't just get A's, I got straight As and A+s. I wasn't merely good at school… I was the best.

Therefore, I was good. I was sooo good. I was good to the extreme.

I was controlled.

But secretly, I wanted to be bad. Bad Bella never came out unless she was in some state of intoxication. So when I used to drink, I never had one drink… I drank until I was tipsy enough to let go. Just a little. Then Bad Bella would make an appearance.

I stole things. A silver fork from the Dartmouth club. A Scorpion bowl from a bar in Boston when we went to a Dartmouth – Harvard football game. Jacob's favorite sweatshirt from his drawer during a party.

I lied… making up a different name for myself when I went out. Telling guys I went to an all women's college rather than Dartmouth because guys loved all girls' schools. I made up a different, more sexy profession for myself when I went out in Boston – for some reason guys loved nurses and librarians. Whatever.

I made out with guys, even if it wasn't the guy with whom I came to the party. Like kissing Mike at the formal when I technically came there with Tyler. More than once I kissed someone else in front of Jacob, sometimes just to piss him off. Eventually, my kissing antics earned me yet another nickname: Big Lips Bella.

Still, by normal people's standards, I was innocent. Because I didn't spend my life in a state of intoxication, everyone had this Goody Two Shoes impression of me... even Edward. He thought he was dating this virtuous lamb: I was still a virgin in my mid-twenties, after all.

So what happened?

I became a vampire.

Vampire likes and dislikes are just magnified versions of their former human selves. What came out after I was turned was all me… just more so. There was the part of me that I revealed before and then there was the part of me that was constantly in check.

Now, we'd had a few glimpses of the hidden parts before I became a vampire.

Take swearing for example. I didn't grow up in a swearing home, and aside from Serena and Nicole, people didn't really use that language in front of me. Angela didn't swear that often. Neither did Jacob or Greg, my old manager. However, once I was able to hear Edward and his dirty inner monologue, the words were in my brain. They flowed freely after that. Edward loved it.

Then there was my temper. I usually had that completely under control – until I didn't. It generally took just a word or an action… just one small spark. If something ignited the fuse, I let it go, let it flow, let it explode. I went from Vulcan to volcano in seconds. We know what THAT did to him.

Finally, there was sex. Any glimpses into my future self with regard to that area were much rarer. Over that part of my life I had supreme control. My pre-vamp life was more tame.

Before Edward, my control took over in regards to sex. It rarely went beyond a kiss, as there was no way I was going to give it up to some guy who barely knew me or cared about me. I didn't fully lose control even when I drank. I just drank to loosen myself up, but I always knew what I was doing. I felt that when I gave myself to someone, I really wanted it to be with someone who loved me. Jacob was the only one with whom I'd even contemplated going further before B'school, but his fear of committing to me alone kept my virginity intact as I held firm to my principles.

Of course, that all almost went by the wayside at the B'school formal. Had Edward not intervened, I probably would have gone off with Mike and just had sex. He was a good kisser and he looked like he'd know what he was doing. I was just tired of waiting at that point. It would have been a conscious, logical decision in my tipsy state that night. Luckily, Edward selfishly intervened on his own behalf to stop me.

When I first became sexually active with Edward, I didn't go nuts exploring any fantasies. I was just learning about my body, his body and our bodies together, so I let him take the lead, going off of his experience and his secret nightly interrogation of my wishes. Not that he got very much information from his nighttime probing because A) I didn't know enough about what was even possible during sex to have anything to reveal to him and B) even asleep, my control never waned.

Every once in a while, my bad self made an appearance. I have NO idea why I felt the need to go down on Edward after I laughed my head off at a comedy show like it happened all the time! Maybe some small part of me was so happy it felt like making sure that he was having a good time as well.

He liked to take me to comedy shows a lot back then.

Actually, he still does.

But once I gave my heart, both figuratively and literally, to Edward on the night he turned me – and I fully understood from his tears that his heart and soul were mine – I felt comfortable at last relinquishing my control. I let Bad Bella come out to play, realizing there was no need for this dichotomy of selves. Bad and Good Bella could coexist; there was no need to keep one or the other in check.

Edward once told me that Emmett and Rosalie had been extremely obnoxious with their demolition sex for a good ten years when they first began their life together. I was quite certain we'd beat that record. I had a lot of years of sexual naïveté and pent-up desires to make up for.

Some of these desires didn't surface until a weekend away from Edward about six months after the New Year's Eve wedding. The Cullen ladies planned a girls' weekend at a spa in Utah with Kate and told me to invite my three best friends. Serena, unfortunately, was in Italy planning her wedding at the time. Angela and Ben had plans throughout the summer, as Ben was prepping to move to San Francisco to live with Angela.

This left Nicole. At first, she felt a little nervous being the only human among the vampires and while I got her to agree to come, I still found myself reassuring her on the plane from Chicago to Vegas as we worked on our GAMES magazines.

"Nicki… you have nothing to worry about. First, you're sharing a villa with me," I said.

"You don't sleep-drink, do you?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I don't sleep-drink because, well, I don't sleep. When you're sleeping, I'll just join them in the other villa. Second," I continued, "We're civilized vamps… and they've been at this longer than I have. They're as controlled as I am, if not more so, and I'm damned controlled. Finally, there's the 'Friend Code'." I finished.

She cocked her head and looked at me. "The Friend Code?"

"Friends don't let friends drink friends," I said, smirking. Her eyes were wide for a moment and then she laughed with me.

"Fucking good code, sister. Stick to it!"

Red Mountain Resort and Spa was a lovely retreat about two hours outside of Las Vegas, tucked away among the red rocks of St. George, Utah. We had a great time getting pampered with massages, wraps and manicures/pedicures. Luckily, Alice had planned the weekend when it was a little overcast so that we could hike comfortably on the local trails and not get drained by the sun. We enjoyed time in the private pool and whirlpool. The resort featured spa dining which meant you got healthy spa meals… small nutritious portions that made it easier for me to look like I was eating when I joined Nicole. The other ladies opted for the fasting as part of a "cleansing" cover.

This vampire girl time was a bit different from my previous human girl time experiences. These ladies 'shared' like we were in an episode of Sex in the City. Nicole was simultaneously shocked and fascinated.

"Let me see if I have this straight," she said. "You never sleep and you never get tired, so you're at it all night long?"

We all looked around at each other and nodded. "Pretty much, if you want to be," Kate answered.

"They don't need the vampire equivalent of Viagra or anything? They can just…"

"…Get it up and keep it up?" Rosalie finished. "That's right: no drugs needed. If we're ready, they are."

"Sometimes, even if we're not ready, they are," Esme laughed. "But it doesn't take much to get ready when it is your mate."

"Mate? How is that different from a human husband?" Nicole asked. "I don't have a husband obviously, but from what I hear, they're always ready to go even if you aren't."

Alice giggled. "That part isn't different, except for their stamina. No, the part that's different is our reaction to them. A vampire 'mate' is based on an intense bond between the two individuals. Your physical being, all parts, call to one another. It isn't just sexual. When you're apart, you can feel if the other is in trouble. But little things that they do can get us aroused in a second. For instance, growling."

The room was instantly filled with enthusiastic 'oh yeahs' and 'uh-huhs.' Nicole looked at me. "You too?"

I shrugged. "It's all still fairly new to me but yeah, either one of us growling can get the other going instantly. We look human, but our reactions are more… animalistic. We growl."

Esme continued. "Of course, then each of us has our own things in our relationships that get us going… like trigger words."

"Trigger words?" Nicole asked, taking a big swig of beer. She needed some alcohol to take in this information.

"Yes, Carlisle loves when I call him Doctor. Anyone could address him as Dr. Cullen and get no response. But if I say it… well, you know." she laughed.

"Thank God for that, otherwise he'd be jumping everyone at the hospital!" Nicole said.

I giggled. Doctor Carlisle! I couldn't wait to watch for his reaction when Esme called him that.

"Cowboy," Alice volunteered. "Muscle," Rosalie added. "Mohican," Kate said. We all looked at her. She grinned. "I made a reference to him looking like one of the patriots in Last of the Mohicans once and it did him in!" They looked at me. "What about Edward?" Kate asked.

I shrugged. "I don't think he has one. He likes my anger and when I swear… but I haven't found a _word_ that does it to him."

"Trust me," Rosalie said, "they all have at least one, and when you find it, watch out!"

Nicole took another swig of her beer. "Growling. Trigger words. Crazy animal sex all night long. Shit. I need to find me a vampire soon," she muttered.

As we wound down the weekend, the ladies decided to make a stop at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace for a small shopping expedition before we left for home. After we dropped Nicole off at the airport for her direct flight home, I inquired about the detour.

"Why are we stopping?"

"We're all in bad need of some fun lingerie and toys," Kate said.

I was puzzled. "Toys? There isn't a Toys-R-Us in Denali?"

Rosalie looked at me. "Bella? NOT that kind of toy. They don't know their own strength sometimes and tend to break them." Alice grinned at me. "You'll see."

Holy shit, I soon saw. We walked into Agent Provocateur and I instantly took in all the wild and sexy lingerie, and almost dropped to the floor when Esme put a set of nipple tassels on the counter. _Wha! _Seeing my reaction, she pulled off another set. "Do you want a pair?"

I gasped. "Uh, Edward gets hot and bothered seeing me in a sports bra and shorts when I'm boxing. I don't think I need to be MORE scantily clad. I'm naked half the time anyway!" Rosalie swiped them from Esme's hands. "I'll take them."

Alice grabbed my hand and led me to a closed door that said "Employees Only". "Come on Bella, this is the real reason for the trip."

Before I could ask why we were entering what seemed like a restricted area, we were through the door…

… and in a room that looked like an S&M and porn movie exploded all over it.

"Fuck me!" I squeaked.

"Exactly," Kate said, walking past me to one of the aisles.

Who knew that Agent Provocateur had this other part to it?! You would never know from the look of that small shop. It was sensory overload. There were a few things I recognized and many things I'd never imagined. I didn't even understand the categories or how things were labeled.

As it turns out, this was a sex toy shop run by vampires, so many of the toys were made a lot more durable. There were also things like edible items that tasted like blood, rather than honey or chocolate. I walked around slowly, reading the signs, picking up items to see what in the hell they were and slowly adding a few of the more interesting ones to my basket.

As I took in the goodies, my eyes landed on a whole wall of cuffs, and suddenly my body was oddly aroused. Alice was at my side instantly. "Oh, yes. This is definitely for you. He'll love it." She picked out a few types and threw them in my basket.

So I returned with the handcuffs. Alice was right, he did love them, and shit, I loved them too. It was a weird thing. Maybe it had to do with how controlled I was at all other times in my daily outwardly 'human' life, but when I was cuffed and under his command, when I was unable to do anything but submit to him and let him take me, I felt free. Ironically, it took chaining me to a bed to make me feel free of all the bonds I'd kept on myself all these years.

On the other hand, I also enjoyed being in control of our activities, like keeping my thoughts hidden from him as I had when I walked in the house this evening. Sometimes I kept him cuffed while I had my way with him… which he also enjoyed.

So, at last I was my true self. The Bella I had always wanted to be. The Bella who could be a wide-eyed innocent one moment, and then would swear like a sailor the next. The Bella who was never embarrassed to show her body to her gorgeous husband. The Bella who was playful and devilish. The Bella who secretly worked on ways to use her powers to her advantage… but didn't let him know about it. The Bella who could do enough wicked things to her horny husband to be called a cock tease.

No, I wasn't a Goody Two Shoes anymore…

And it was a joy.

~#~

He was off of the mat and in front of me in a second, attempting to block my exit out of the studio. "I think 'Fucks a Vampire' is a great name," he said grinning.

"Technically, it applies to both of us – as does 'Sleeps With a Vampire' – so, no, it doesn't work… which was the other reason why I wanted to change it." I sidestepped him and continued down the hall. He was right behind me.

I had him right where I wanted him.

"You can call me 'Fucks a Vampire' ALL you want," he volunteered.

I turned to look at him. "We were talking about MY Sioux name, my friend. Besides, I think you really just want to hear ME say the fuck-word." I turned intent on continuing on my path.

He growled a lusty growl and grabbed me from behind, his arms around my waist, his lips caressing my neck.

"How about 'Clever Like a Fox'?" he murmured against my shoulder.

I smirked. Now he was trying to butter me up.

"'Dances Like a Sexy Angel'?" I turned in his arms as I heard the next thoughts he would voice. He let go of my waist and cupped my face. "Bella, Love, you do know that you were meant to do something other than consulting, right?"

"Edward, I…"

"Just think about it. You're too creative to let your natural talents go to waste… Think about choreography, sweetness."

I closed my eyes. He knew me so well. It was a small thought that floated around my brain quite often when I was in my studio. I nodded and opened my eyes.

His eyes were smoldering, filled with love and just a touch of devilishness dancing behind them. I could hear his intent.

_Uh oh._

"'Cock Teases a Vampire'?" he suggested again. He was trying to piss me off now.

I smiled at him, steeling myself for the barrage of insults that would come my way. "Cock tease implies that I never give it up, Edward. We have enough evidence from tonight alone to render that statement as false. Liar, liar, pants on fire," I said, swatting his butt quickly. I backed away from him and continued walking toward the stairs.

"'Edward's Ball and Chain'?" he offered.

"Yeah, right, Cullen… I wasn't the one who wanted to get married so badly."

"'Goes Frigid as an Ice Cube'?" I paused just for a second. _Frigid! Me? Oh, he's really trying to push my buttons._ I couldn't blame him: I was getting better at pushing down my anger. I was halfway up the stairs.

"I know you're merely commenting on my skin temperature, sir, and nothing else."

"'Secretly Fantasizes about Jacob Black'."

I gasped. And then I whirled around. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, babe."

_Oh no he didn't!_ That was two in a row: first Jacob, and then 'babe.'

Before I could stop myself, I crouched low and growled.

"I think 'Smacks Annoying Faces' is about to make a return appearance," I said, gritting my teeth. I was furious. "You Motherfucker!"

His eyes were dancing as he scooped me up and ghosted me to the room, throwing me down on the bed.

"No," he said, moving quickly to shackle my wrist to the bedpost. "Wifefucker," he whispered into my ear. Then he pulled back to look at me.

I pushed the anger back down quickly. "That can be _your_ Sioux name," I breathed.

Yep, I had him right where I wanted him.

He looked up at the handcuff that he was trying to put on my wrist and watched it dance around his hand, continuing to snap open every time he put pressure on it. He looked down at me in surprise.

I looked at him with a smirk on my lips. Then I mentally snapped the cuff onto _his_ wrist.

"What the…"

I flipped over, pushing him onto his back and straddling his chest, while grabbing his other arm to cuff him quickly.

I told you. I. Wanted. To. Drive.

His shocked look slowly turned into a grin. _Bella cuffs Edward to the bed, Bella gives Edward amazing head._

"As you wish, Mr. Cullen." I said, leaning down to kiss him. Then I worked my way down his body.

Edward writhed and moaned beneath me as I once again lifted my mental shield and continued my ministrations. "Oh, fuck!" he groaned, as he took in my thoughts.

_Uh, 'Is a Fucking Awesome Wife'? _he thought.

I chuckled, the vibrations of my mouth on his shaft sending him over the edge. "GOD DAMN, BELLA!" he shouted as his body shook from his climax.

_Is a Fucking Awesome Wife. Hmmm. _

I sat up and grinned at him.

"That name might work."

* * *

**A/N: So, apparently there isn't much else to do when you're a vampire. Huh.  
**

**Big hug to Irritable Grizzzly, Wonder-Beta-Woman, as well as to MrsEdwardCullenP for her unwavering moral support on my teeny-tiny attempts at more citrus. (Both ladies have their own stories going out there in FF-land... check them out!)  
**

**Unlike our friends B&E, I can't read your minds. Please leave a review! **

_Post A/N: If you've never seen the Adam Ant video to Goody Two Shoes, look up __Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes (1982 Video) on YouTube. Oaksyboy44 has the full video. LOL for the costumes, hair and make-up. Ah, the 80's. _


	4. I’ve Created a Monster

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

**

* * *

Chapter 4: I've Created a Monster**

**EPOV**

_I'm so fucking lucky. _

Those were words that might never have rolled around in my head four and a half years ago and now I found myself thinking them all the time.

I had thought I was damned. I was a vampire. A monster. I couldn't understand how an abomination like me could exist, and while I spent my 80 plus vampire years trying to make myself useful, it did little to assuage the underlying bitterness I felt for being what I was.

Until I met Bella.

Bella was special. I knew it from the first moment I saw her – well before Eleazar's nervous observations at our wedding – and each day and night with her brought new awareness… and everything I learned made me fall in love with her even more. Through my love for her, I learned more about myself. She had a power over me that was almost magical.

How random was it that I happened to be in Ida Noyes Hall that night? I had only stopped by to pick up the stack of papers from the professor for whom I was working as his Teaching Fellow. He had varied from his typical daily regime to meet up with a colleague at the pub in the basement, so his unusual actions led me to be in the hall, walking up the stairs to the main lobby the night Bella decided to check out a Karate class. It was a chain of events which led me to meeting the perfect woman for me.

When I look back at it all, despite the fact that I'd stalked her for a month or two before I made a real move, it wasn't all my doing. It was fate that brought us together, just like my being in the right place at the right time when we met.

That day at the pond almost four years ago, she said it was like I had been created just for her. Already in love with her at the time, my dead heart felt like it would beat again after I revealed myself to her and she didn't run but drew me closer to her. _She's absolutely correct,_ I thought as I kissed her that day. _I was made for her_. I just had to wait the 60 years after my turning for her to be born.

In the months that followed that realization, I catalogued all of the reasons why I was in love with her. All of her wonderful traits haunted me during our time apart. All of those traits brought me back to her. I was the luckiest being on earth to have someone like this woman who actually wanted to stay with me forever.

As we sat on the plane making our way on the long trip from Chicago to Denali, I stared at my beautiful wife, marveling at my good fortune. Bella had just completed her last project at BCG only two days before our trip. Her resignation came as quite a shock to the Partners there. They spent two weeks trying to talk her out of it and were very surprised to learn that she wasn't going anywhere else. They asked her to consider a sabbatical instead, but she politely declined. Finishing up her project ahead of schedule and to her usual perfection, the partners made it clear that she was welcome back any time.

She was listening to her iPod and working on various puzzles in her GAMES magazine. As she tapped her pen to her bottom lip, I sat mesmerized.

_Jesus, Bella, I wish I was that pen._

Peeking at me from her peripheral vision, she smirked. _I'll bet,_ she thought. Suddenly she took more of the pen into her mouth and eased it out slowly, back toward the pen cap.

"Bella!" I muttered in our low tone.

"Stop staring at me if you're going to get hot and bothered by what you see! You and your oral fixation," she giggled, looking down at her magazine.

"No, you and YOUR oral fixation," I said. "I'm not the one who drinks her cordial with a straw, Sweetness."

She smirked again, peeking at me through her eyelashes. "Ah, I just do that when I know you're looking," she said, sucking on her pen cap once more.

I reached for the hand that held the pen and pulled it away from her mouth. "Okay, you need to stop doing that," I said. She laughed and hit pause on her iPod. "Are you excited about this trip, Love?"

"Yes," she said, removing the earbuds from her ears. "This is my first real break in two years. I'm looking forward to seeing my dad and Sue when we swing by Forks after Denali, and of course, I'm excited to spend time with your family and Kate and Garrett." Her face became serious. "Is _he_ going to be there too?" she asked.

"Yes, my love, Eleazar and Carmen are in town this year so I believe they will be invited. I know that he makes you uncomfortable but…"

"I'm just not anxious to have him staring at me or bringing up all that legend/Prophecy nonsense again," she said with an annoyed sigh. "I quite enjoyed last year's visit when he was out of town..."

~#~#~

Eleazar's fascination with Bella at our wedding was unnerving. Our conversation after Bella left us to go talk to her parents was even more so. I noticed his expression as he watched her, and then I heard his thoughts. I was surprised at what he was thinking.

"Eleazar, you can't be serious," I said with a frown. "Bella?"

"I'm completely serious."

"That's just folklore."

He looked around at the various vampires in attendance and opted to keep our conversation as private as possible. _The legend speaks of a powerful female vampire, Edward. One with a number of gifts. One who retains her humanity._

He looked back at me.

_Has she retained her memories?_

I paused for a moment. Bella's human memories were crystal clear. "She's a newborn. Of course she has."

"They fade instantly, Edward. You must remember that from your change."

"Bella is all vampire, Eleazar, I assure you. Venom, strength, speed, fangs."

_I don't mean to get too personal, but her blood… The taste? The color? Is it like ours?_

No, the color still had a slight red tint to it and had not yet matched our dark bluish tone. And the taste! Jesus… It had been a long time since I drank other vampire blood but I figured the sweet taste had to do with our bond and my being her first and only sexual partner... "Why does that matter?" I asked.

_The Shri __retains her humanity__, Edward._ _Her ability to be among humans within two weeks of her change? One could speculate that it was less a function of her control and more a function of that retention._ "In doing your research, you must have tested her blood, no?"

I shook my head. "Not before our first blood-sharing, no, and there was no reason to test it before then. After she gained the ability to read my mind, it was too late: her blood was contaminated by mine." I looked at Bella who was now sitting at another table, laughing with her friends. "We weren't sure if it was my blood or hers that drove the power absorption." I looked back at him.

"Clearly if she absorbed Jasper's abilities, it was hers." He ran his fingers through his hair and continued to look at her.

"You're worried, my friend. Why? What if she was that vampire? The legend doesn't say she's evil…"

_Edward,_ he thought, his mental tone serious. _The Shri brings fear to our world. Her existence causes…_

"But that is just it, Eleazar. The… that female causes an event, but nobody knows what it is. The fear could be over nothing."

_The Shri is linked to the Prophecy._

I inhaled sharply and then shook my head. "Now you're really getting into mythology. No one knows the whole thing."

"But enough is known to raise concerns," he said.

_Five and one hundredscore years__  
Ides of month eight pass  
Bring to light immortal fears  
A wealth of powers amass_

"She was turned in mid-August, no?" I nodded. His next thoughts came rushing at me.

_I think it would be worthwhile to research the legend and see what else you can pull out that has any bearing on my suspicions. It won't be easy, as I've heard that there are false stanzas of the Prophecy out there. I understand only the Ancients will be able to tell us the whole prophecy, and the remaining Ancients have been hiding as of late._ He looked back at Bella. "You should test her blood."

As we watched Bella gracefully dancing with her friends, I considered his words. Bella had many powers but she couldn't be this all-powerful vampire the legend spoke of.

I looked back at him and nodded. "I'll talk to Carlisle, and of course Bella will be completely involved, but I'm still doubtful. It has to be coincidence."

_My friend, I can only hope that I am wrong._ He smiled genuinely. "Your Bella is lovely, Edward. I mean it sincerely. Congratulations to you both."

~#~#~

Bella shook her head as she relived that conversation with me in my thoughts. "You know that I like Eleazar, Edward, but I just can't deal with it if he's going to be all gloom and doom with me this week. I want a freakin' vacation!"

I kissed the hand that I was still holding. "Eleazar knows to lay off the folklore, Sweetness. Carlisle shared our findings to date with him."

~#~#~

In the two years since that night, we hadn't discovered anything new. Both Carlisle and I independently conducted analyses on Bella's blood every few months and we compared the findings. As per the original analysis that he had conducted when she was pregnant, we found that she still had her old blood cells that clung on to the new blood in her system, but was hard to separate the two sets. When we tried to do so in the lab, the cells broke down immediately, leaving us with nothing. Sometimes, when she indicated that she was feeling odd from any recent cordials she drank, I'd run new tests hoping to catch the absorption process before it took hold, but it happened too quickly. In the meantime, her blood still hadn't fully changed color.

Meanwhile, good information on the legend and the Prophecy was even more elusive. Bella and Carlisle had spent time together several months after our wedding looking through his library to see if they could uncover more of the legend.

"Vampire folklore tells us that the Prophecy was originally foretold by four Ancients. They each had shared a vision and each created a stanza of the Prophecy," Carlisle explained. "Over time, they separated and the full Prophecy was lost. Two of the Ancients have since passed, when our kind fought each other long ago, but not before one of them wrote down his portion. Unfortunately, only this stanza – the one Eleazar mentioned – made it out intact; it is exactly as he originally stated it. The other Ancient merely whispered his last stanza at his death and, therefore, we lack documented proof as to what he really foretold…"

~#~#~

Bella glanced at our surroundings and at the passengers around us on the plane and spoke in our low tone. "You know my opinion about this legend/Prophecy stuff," she said, looking down at our clasped hands. "Carlisle has found nothing new. For all we know there could have been a meeting of vampires with powers in August 2005. Shit, it could have happened at that Vampire Convention in Seattle that you came across when you made your way to Forks to find me. There was probably a forum or special interest group for Vampire Mutants right there in front of them all." She looked up to meet my gaze. "Besides, nothing bad has happened since the time that was foretold. Eleazar had better behave." She shook her head, put her earbuds on and pressed play on her iPod as she turned her attention to her puzzles again.

She had a point. In the two years since that conversation, there was no event that had shaken our world. Moreover, I was inclined to agree with her doubts. She couldn't be the cause of anything evil; there was not one thing about Bella's nature that led me to believe she'd been put on this earth for anything but good.

As a matter of fact, in the past two years my list of her wonderful traits had only gotten longer. She was adventurous… and fun. She had a terrible temper… which, as you know, was a fucking phenomenal trait in my book. She was soooo clever… and just a little wicked.

Wicked was a surprise to me. Because that one she kept buried waaaay below the surface...

~#~#~

I got my first real glimpse at her wickedness combined with that cleverness two days into our Vegas honeymoon when we finally decided to leave our villa to gamble a little. Bella looked stunning in a tight blue halter dress that showed off her every curve. We joined a craps table where I worked my magic making sure the dice were hot for the table and I planned to get Bella worked up so we could return back to our villa and continue on with the 'honeying' part of our honeymoon.

No sooner had I finished thinking a little poem for her – _Sex with Edward is always fun, Edward makes Bella cum and cum (fun, cum… close enough)_ – than I felt her Jedi hands in my pants right there at the craps table, making me, uh, snap to attention immediately.

I whipped my head to look at her but she was leaning over to grab the dice once again for her roll. _Yo 69, Edward!_ she thought, a smirk on her face, as she lifted her mental shield and sent me some wicked visuals of us… which only served to get me even more aroused.

"Fuck, Bella, what are you doing?" I muttered in our low tone.

She rolled the dice and amazingly hit her number.

I groaned as her Jedi mouth was working me while she was also mentally working the dice. _Holy shit, now THAT is talent. _

"Bella, what… how…?"

She laughed. "Hey, gotta put these skills to good use somehow," she answered as she rolled again, "And in the event that I'm going to Hell, I might as well do it thoroughly!"

At that moment, I got the distinct feeling that she was constantly working on more clever ways to use her powers and keeping it a secret. Hell, if whatever she was coming up with got me off like this did, I couldn't care less! With or without those powers, she was a constant surprise.

For instance, I was a little shocked when she returned from a girl's weekend with my family with a set of actual vampire handcuffs.

Then I almost dropped to the floor when I came home from the lab one night to find her on the computer, looking at Dominant and submissive practices.

"Bella, Love?" I asked slowly.

"Yes," she asked, not looking from the screen.

"Uh, Doms and subs? Are you kidding me???"

She laughed. "Don't worry, Edward… I just stumbled upon this website."

"Stumbled? Whatever could you have typed in that would land you on Doms/subs?"

"When the girls and I were in that toy store in Vegas a few weeks ago, I didn't recognize most of the things they were selling, so I started looking them up. Somehow I kept ending up on this website. I guess many of the items are Dom toys. I've never heard of half the stuff I'm reading about here! I actually have to Google some of the phrases."

"So what's the verdict?"

"Nah, I don't think the whole Dom/sub thing is me… particularly this idea of punishment. Wow. I can tell you this… anyone even attempting to whip me with a leather strap would lose an appendage."

I smiled. "I didn't think it was you. So I guess this means we won't need a 'safeword'?" I teased. Yeah, I knew what they were. I'd dabbled in the lifestyle a long time ago with Tanya, Irina and James.

She whipped around to look at me, an incredulous look on her face when she realized I knew the terminology. "How…?" Then she heard my thoughts. "Okay, push that visual out of your head right now. This discussion is about us, not our San Francisco friends," she said, her tone slightly annoyed. Tanya was still a sensitive subject for us at that point.

I pulled her up out of her chair so that I could switch places with her, then I pulled her down to sit on my lap. "So... safeword?"

She laughed. "OW is my safeword, Edward." Suddenly, she became serious. "We're pretty open with each other; it's hard to hide stuff when we can hear each other's minds. If we figure out things that we'll both enjoy, there shouldn't be a reason for a safeword. You won't hurt me."

I marveled at her absolute love for and trust in me after everything we had been through.

"So," I said, nuzzling behind her ear as I reached for the mouse to peruse the website, "did you come across anything you liked?"

She leaned her head away from me, giving me more access to her neck. "Ah, that is for me to know and for you to find out, Mr. Cullen…"

In theory, vampire Bella should have been the Bella I'd known… just more so, but since she only let on to about 1% of her emotions and desires, I still had a helluva lot to learn about her.

And we had all the time in the world for me to learn. Besides, I had some tricks up my sleeve for her as well…

Learning how she would respond to my actions was generally easy. Learning why, however, was more difficult. While she had the ability to show me her mind by removing her shield, it took mental effort on her part and it still wasn't second nature for her to do so. Moreover, even with her lowered shield, sometimes there were no answers to be had. If she didn't explain herself, I was often in the dark. My curiosity always got the best of me; I usually asked.

In the two days and nights before we left for Denali, we celebrated the beginning of her downtime… a LOT. After hearing her over and over during our sexcapades, a question began to form and the need to know started to overwhelm me.

As we lay on the floor in our study, she heard my thoughts and answered my question before I verbalized it. "Whose name should I be thinking or saying when you're inside me, Edward? Johnny Depp's?" she laughed, our bodies still connected, her right leg curled over my left.

"Bella, I was merely observing that you never say anything else anymore. You used to mention God on occasion. I, for example, sometimes swear…"

"You, for example, swear a LOT, Mr. Cullen."

"… But you do not." I finished. "You only call my name now. Every time."

She cocked her head and looked at me with concern. "Would you like me to swear, Edward? Is that what this is about? Is your name not enough of a turn on?"

I shook my head. "No, Love, your saying my name is a total turn on. At that moment, I feel like you're completely mine… like I'm claiming you as you give yourself to me. I was simply curious."

She slowly pulled herself away, rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling. I instantly felt empty with the loss of contact. Putting her hands behind her head, she asked. "Do you really want to know?"

_Holy shit! There is a real reason for it! Here I thought it was that she lost her ability to think. Do I want to know? _

I nodded. "Yes, please tell me."

"It's kind of silly… Leah has always been into new age stuff. She told me she'd learned that a woman, at the height of her orgasm, is very powerful. Her chakras are open and one with the universe, so if she makes a wish at just that moment, it will come true." Bella laughed. "Leah used to yell out, "Lottery!" on occasion, and then she'd have to cover it up by saying being with the guy was like winning the lottery, when in fact, she was just hoping she'd win a lot of money."

"Anyway, that conversation stuck with me," she said with a small shrug. "We don't need money. I feel blessed that I found you. So at the height of _my_ orgasm, I call out your name." She turned her head to meet my eyes. "'As I wish'. I wish for you, Edward."

'As you wish'. Our Princess Bride catch-phrase for "I love you". My breath caught. I didn't think it possible to love her any more than I already did, and yet here again, she surprised me.

"I am always yours, my love," I whispered.

I kissed her softly and rolled on top of her. I began to make love to my wife yet again, settling in to take her slowly and gently after the tender thoughts she'd shared with me.

She, on the other hand, had other ideas.

"Faster, Edward," she moaned, moving against me. "Please, go faster!"

_So much for tender._

I quickened my movements and still she called for more. "Harder… Please, harder!"

I acquiesced to her request and soon was grinding against her, pushing her harder and rougher into the floor. I was close and I could tell she was as well. And at the height of her orgasm, she was vocal for me.

"A new fucking car!" she cried out, her walls pulsing around me.

I actually froze mid-thrust. _What. The. Hell?_

Hearing my thoughts, she laughed… a mixed chuckle of pleasure from her climax and humor at the fact that she surprised me once again. _You asked for something different…_

"Oooh, you're wicked…" I said, as I began moving with her again. Her muscles were still tense around me and I knew she would come for me again. I moved my hand to just above where we were joined and stroked her. I could tell she was going to go over the edge again. Moments later, I released as her second climax hit. Her eyes opened and looked into mine. They were shining with love.

_Edward._

Given our conversation, I opted to forgo the profanities in lieu of her name… just in case a man's orgasm had any influence on the wishing as well.

_Bella…_

~#~#~

I chuckled as my mind swirled around the more pleasant visuals of our last few days together, all folklore thoughts vanishing from my mind. Oh yes, I ordered her a new Mini Cooper before we left that morning for our trip. I could never refuse her. Apparently wishing during orgasm really did work.

Bella laughed as she heard my thoughts. "I'm going to start wishing for more things from now on, Edward." Suddenly, she removed her earbuds, got up from her seat and started walking toward the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Vampires don't go to the bathroom...

"I have to wash my hands," she whispered. _I'm a little dirty…_

_Wha? _

"I think you need to wash your hands too, Mr. Cullen," she said in our low tone as she continued down the aisle.

_I've created a monster. I've literally created a sexually adventurous monster._

_Excellent._

Trying my best NOT to ghost her down to the restroom, I took a leisurely stroll to meet up with her.

She had entered the restroom and was getting ready to close the door when suddenly the door opened wider and her hand shot out to pull me inside with her.

_Jesus, my wife is wicked cool._

She made fast work of my pants, unzipping me quickly and wrenching them and my briefs down my legs. As she knelt down to take me in her mouth, I marveled at the uninhibited Bella that was servicing me at that moment.

_Scratch that: she's just plain wicked._

I pulled her up onto her feet before she could finish me off. "I want to be inside you Bella," I growled. "Now." I removed her pants quickly and within seconds I had her up against the restroom door, her legs wrapped around me.

"Edward," she breathed as she came.

_I'm so fucking lucky._

* * *

**A/N: Nope. Still not a mind reader. Please leave a review!**

**Thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly, a VERY busy beta… who argued like heck with me on this chapter. Thanks IG for keeping me in line and still letting me go.**

_Post A/N: Safeword statement borrowed from Unshelved. _


	5. Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

**Edward's poetry is all him… **

**

* * *

Chapter 5: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay**

**BPOV**

"Bella! You're finally here!" Emmett's booming voice shouted from the house as I opened the car door. Alice and Jasper had been kind enough to come get us at the Fairbanks airport and at last we had arrived at the Cullen's Denali home.

He was at the car in a flash, sweeping me up in a big bear hug. "I've been looking forward to your visit! I want to have a movie fest but no one will watch them with me."

"987 times, Emmett. You've seen The Rings trilogy 987 times already! All three movies back to back." Rosalie had followed him out and was standing behind him with her arms crossed. She rolled her eyes and then she reached out to hug me. "Welcome home, Bella. Congrats on your decision to do something new." She whispered in my ear. "Seriously, it's like The Rocky Horror Picture Show for him now. He recites the lines."

I stepped back from the hug and looked at Edward. He grinned at me and looked back at Emmett and Rosalie. "Are you kidding? Bella is like that too, except that she does it with the music; she plays the movie soundtrack and she also recites the lines."

Esme and Carlisle were stepping up for their hugs as Emmett and I high fived. He was excited. "Alright! Finally! Someone who understands!

I was genuinely excited as well… I hadn't seen the movies since I'd turned. I usually spent my spare time with Edward doing… other things, and when we did see movies, they were usually new ones.

I planted my feet in front of me and pretended I was wielding a huge staff in my hand. Bringing my hands together, I plunged the imaginary staff into the imaginary bridge. "'YOU SHALL NOT PASS!'" I shouted.

Esme and Carlisle looked confused, while Jasper smirked and Alice giggled. Emmett looked at me in awe. "Excellent Gandalf imitation, my preciousss."

I laughed. "Right back at ya, Gollum. I've seen all three movies about six times each and I read the books a couple of times as well." I said with a shrug, turning to the car trunk to help Edward get our bags. "They left an impression."

"I'd imagine so when the books are all about you!"

I whipped around. He looked as smug as the cat that ate the canary.

"Don't start, Emmett," I hissed. "It's bad enough that I'll have to deal with Eleazar and his crazy looks when he visits. I thought we," I said, gesturing among the whole collected family, "were done with this when Carlisle and I went through his library a year and half ago."

"Oooh," he said, in mock fear, wiggling his fingers at me. "Is Lord Sauron going to give me her evil Eye?"

~#~#~

The whole family had gathered in the study the day that Carlisle, Edward and I first openly discussed the legend and the Prophecy.

"…The other Ancient merely whispered his last stanza at his death and, therefore, we lack documented proof as to what he really foretold," Carlisle said.

"You know the other stanza, don't you?" Edward asked.

Carlisle cocked his head slightly. He looked a little uneasy. "I know what I've heard it to be." His voice was somber.

"One child to rule them all,  
One child to find them,  
One child to bring them all,  
And in the darkness bind them."

I felt my eyes bug out of my head, and then I started laughing. "Are you KIDDING me? That can't be part of the Prophecy. That's from The Lord of the Rings! Someone has really screwed with vampire history."

Carlisle grimaced. "Actually, as we understand it, J.R.R. Tolkien was researching myths and poems and came across that stanza… and leveraged it for his books."

"But don't you see? We have no documented proof of what was actually said. It gets passed down via verbal legend. Then everyone knows this famous set of lines about a dark lord and a ring and doom and then they turn the original stanza into something horrible." I shook my head; I couldn't believe that the rest of them were so serious. This had to be a joke. "Besides, that stanza refers to a child. I'm 26: I don't qualify as a child. Even if the stanza is exactly what he foretold, I think we're looking for a younger vampire with a lot of powers."

"Bella, Love," Edward said gently, "not that I disagree with you, but you're still a newborn… and technically you will be considered a 'child' for the next four years."

I glanced around at the rest of the family and it was easy to see they were weighing Carlisle's statement as they looked at me. _Fucking Tolkien..._ I could tell that I was going to have to play the Harry Potter ignorance card and just say 'Voldemort' out loud. I shook my head. "It isn't me. We can't just take the first and last stanzas and assume we know the whole thing, particularly if there is no documentation." I turned to Carlisle. "Do you believe all of this? Don't sugarcoat it."

Carlisle smiled. "I have more respect for the legend and Prophecy than most vampires you'll encounter, perhaps because I've heard about it for so long, but I know enough about you to know your nature. You, Bella, are a unique being in many aspects and I've never encountered someone like you in my 350 plus years… but I have a hard time believing that you'll lead us into darkness." He looked around at all of the family members. "I agree that we need more information. When we next travel to Europe, I'll see what I can find in some of the older libraries."

~#~#~

I looked around at the family. "I'm asking you now, in advance of Eleazar's visit, please, none of this 'She Who Shall Not Be Named' crap. No sneaky side looks at me, no discussions behind my back – because you know that I'll know. If you have anything to say, say it to my face." I paused and tried to put some weight behind my next words. "We have nothing new. I am not the Shri."

The Cullens all smiled and nodded and I opened my mind to hear their thoughts so that I could register their truthfulness. Hearing their minds, I breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Emmett," I said, trying to move on to happier topics, "when do you want to start the Rings marathon?"

"Now! I've been waiting for too long."

"Okay, let me get my stuff unpacked and then I'll be back down." I looked at Edward and gestured toward the house.

"Nuh-uh," Emmett said. "Edward stays."

_What? Why? _I frowned. Then I saw Edward's smirk and heard him churning over Emmett's thoughts. I rolled my eyes. "Give me a break, Em. We can behave ourselves for ten minutes."

Rosalie snorted. "Ha! Who are you kidding? I don't think so. You can't let go of each other for ten seconds, let alone ten minutes."

"That's not true," I protested. Jasper snickered and I looked down and saw that Edward's hand was clasped in mine. I hadn't even noticed it. We dropped hands.

I shook my head and continued walking toward the house with my bag. Edward followed. "We'll behave," he sighed. "She'll be down to watch the movie with you in ten minutes, Em."

We were on our way up the stairs when I heard Alice muttering. "Yeah, I… I think they'll be able to hold off. They had a quickie on the plane."

"Alice!" I hissed. I heard them laughing behind us as they made their way toward the house. I looked at Edward. "This is going to be an interesting two weeks."

He leaned in, putting his mouth to my ear. "Don't worry, Love," he whispered. "They soundproofed our room. They can hear us talking now but when we're in there or in the surveillance room in your studio, they won't be able to hear our activities… which ought to make it a little easier. I can really have my way with you then." I looked at him. His eyes were smoldering. "I might have to come up with a safeword for you after all," he teased seductively.

We stopped on the landing between the first and second floor and I kissed him gently. "I told you, Edward. 'Ow' is my safeword."

"DUDE!" Emmett's voice came from below. "You guys have SAFEWORDS?"

"Uh oh, I may have been mistaken about the holding off part…" Alice said.

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together. _Damn it._ When you don't hang around other vampires all the time, you forget how much can be heard.

Emmett was standing on the stairs a few steps below us. "Jeez, Bella, we knew you were going to be a handful, but kinky too? Who would have known?"

I dropped my bag and walked down two steps to face him. "Emmett, I may be a vampire now, but some things about me remain the same. My sex life is still not up for public discussion."

He crossed his arms and wiggled his eyebrows. "That's what you think, Voldy. There are no secrets in this family. Speaking of which," he said, looking up at Edward, "that trapeze thing… how in the hell? That sounded really difficult."

I pushed past him and made my way down the stairs until I could see my small dark-haired sibling. "ALICE!" I said exasperatedly, throwing my hands up in the air. "Must you share all?"

"Sorry Bella," Jasper said sheepishly, taking Alice's hand in his. "We were all dying to know how that turned out."

Emmett continued, "Seriously, Edward, she was upside down… and you were dangling by…"

"Bella has AMAZING control with her telekinesis, more than I do," Edward responded proudly.

I whipped around to look up at him as my mouth dropped open. He was standing there with a big shit-eating grin on his face. "Edward!" I hissed. His eyes met mine. It came out before I could stop it… I was so pissed off. "What the fuck! Why are you sharing this?"

He growled and ghosted to me before I had time to react in my shocked state. Suddenly, I was pinned to the wall in front of everyone. Had I been human, I would have been beet red by now. As it was, the growling and the feel of his tongue on my neck were getting to me.

"Jasper," I managed to croak out, "are you doing this to him?"

"Bella, you married that horn-dog. That is all him… and you. Jesus, get a room!"

Suddenly I could feel desire emanating not only from Edward but all around. There were horn-dogs everywhere! I found it hard to believe that Jasper wasn't manipulating this.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Well, we should turn in. We'll all catch up in the morning. Ready, Esme?"

"Absolutely, Doctor Cullen," she responded. Carlisle uttered a low growl and practically ripped Esme's arm out of its socket as he ghosted with her to their room and slammed the door.

I was momentarily stunned at witnessing Carlisle's trigger word in action… so much so that I missed Jasper and Alice disappearing. Edward's lips were still moving up and down my neck and I could tell he was going to escalate his actions in a few moments. Before I lost myself completely, I called out to Emmett. "Um, Emmett, rain check?

I noticed that even in Jasper's absence, lust and desire were filling the room. At that moment I realized that some of my furtive efforts had paid off… kind of. I'd been absorbing Edward's desire, magnifying by adding it to mine, and then radiating it outward to the rest of the Cullens. _Yikes. I need to work on that._

"Sure thing, Bella. Ready Rose?" Then they were gone.

Edward grinned at me. "And then there were two…" he said in his velvety seductive voice. His hands were working their way underneath my top. _Gah!_ "Edward! Not here! Upstairs… now!" I squeaked.

The next thing I knew, he had scooped me up over his shoulder and was ghosting me up the stairs, grabbing our bags along the way. "As you wish, Mrs. Cullen," he said, chuckling…

~#~

Early the next day, I decided to go to my studio before the day's activities started in full. Making my way down the stairs, I found Esme and Carlisle at the front door; Esme was straightening his tie and patting down his shirt, getting him ready to go off for his rounds at the hospital. They looked at me as I stepped into the living room.

"Hello Bella," Esme said, "We're sorry about not catching up last night." They looked a little embarrassed. "We don't know what happened..."

"That may have been my fault," I began. Suddenly, I felt Edward's arms wrap around my waist from behind and he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. I looked at him and smiled. Then I noticed Jasper and Alice had joined us as well.

I continued. "I've been practicing with the Jasper power. I didn't like just absorbing… so I'd been working on deflecting and radiating… pushing out to others, sort of like Kate with her shocking power. I've mostly been doing this in meetings at work; it has been very effective in calming things down." I looked at all of them and made a face. "It kind of happened by accident last night – you got both my radiating and deflecting at once."

Esme, Carlisle, Jasper and Alice all started laughing. Edward, on the other hand, was shocked.

"You what?" He let go of me and turned me to face him. I could hear his mind churning. _Oooh, you're wicked_, he thought. _Now I know what you've been doing to me…_

I lifted my shield to speak to him and raised an eyebrow. _Who are you kidding, mister? You don't need ME to magnify your lusty feelings. You're fine with that all on your own!_

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "You're right," he said, pulling me into his arms to hug me.

"Hey you two," Alice chided. "No silent conversations. That's rude."

"This from the woman who's watching our sex life and relaying it to everyone," I retorted.

Alice giggled and then grabbed my arm. "So, Bella, I see that you're dressed for your studio. We've renovated it to have some of the Forks elements, including poles. You can practice that pole dancing routine this week…"

_Shit!_ "Alice!" I hissed.

Edward's body stiffened against mine "What?" he asked again, in surprise.

"Christ, Edward, don't you know your own wife at all?" Rosalie asked as she and Emmett joined us. "Actually, we installed enough poles for all of the Cullen women. I want you to teach me that routine, Bella. It sounds hot; I think Em would love it."

"You've got that right, Rosie baby."

"What pole dancing routine, Bella?" Edward asked slowly.

"To 'Mama'," Alice answered. "You know… the song that you and Bella… in the bathroom at the Genesis concert, a few months ago?"

"Alice, please!" I looked at Edward. His eyes were darkening as his mind started churning back to our activities in the bathroom and then began imagining me pole dancing.

At the thought of their women doing a pole dance, the room was suddenly filled with lust and desire all over again.

"Cullen men," I cried, "Control yourselves!" I mentally thought of a wonderful calming Karate kata and projected it outward. The lusty feelings lessened.

"Aw Bella," Jasper muttered, "You're no fun."

"I'm trying to finish a conversation here!" I looked at Alice. "Damn it, Alice, I was planning to surprise Edward with that dance."

"Well, he was surprised, alright," she said, laughing. "But no, that one is not meant for Edward alone. THAT dance is going to get you noticed."

Edward and I watched her as she replayed a recent vision. "Really?"

She nodded. "So you need to teach us some of it. We'll record it. Most of it will be only you. But the parts with us will highlight your overall group choreography."

I thought quickly. "Okay, we'll record it, but I have one rule: no men in the room or we'll never get through it!"

~#~

The rest of the first week was fun. I taught the women the basics of my pole dance and then later, they showed their husbands their new tricks.

We didn't see them a lot for the two days following the taping.

Kate and Garrett came over often and removed my nervousness by letting me know when to expect Eleazar and Carmen. "We told him to lay off, Bella," Kate said.

Emmett and I watched not only the Rings trilogy, but also all five of the Harry Potter movies as well. Emmett had a thing for Hermione… he loved how clever she was. I had a thing for the Sirius Black character, but I had to admit that the Cedric guy in movie 4 was kind of cute… in a pretty-boy kind of way.

Emmett also spent much of his time trying to catch me by surprise or get me upset. None of it worked.

"Give it up, big brother," I said, dancing around him, "You'll never beat me."

Emmett fake coughed into his hand, "Bullshit!"

"No, Em, Bella's right, Alice said, "You'll never win against her."

"No way! What if we had teams? Could I win then?"

We ended up playing Emmett's version of Survivor. The goal was the same – Outwit, Outlast, Outplay – but rather than be voted off, the last person on the losing team would be out. In order to make the teams even, the judges – Alice, Esme and Garrett – decided that Edward and I couldn't be together. We went down gender lines for the teams: Edward, Jasper and Emmett on one side and me, Kate and Rose on the other.

The day went quickly. The men's team lost Jasper on the first challenge when the panicked feelings Jasper was sending our way backfired on him as I deflected them back. Then we lost Rosalie when we did a puzzle challenge; her husband won that round, even beating me! Kate was knocked out of the running when she came in last for the log roll. Finally, believe it or not, Emmett was out after a baseball slugfest. He took his loss rather gracefully…

…Well, not so much. Particularly not after Edward hoisted me on his shoulders after my win, humming the tune from The Natural – the part when Robert Redford knocks the cover off the ball.

For the final challenge, they all – even our teammates – went off to discuss what that challenge would be. Edward and I lounged on the sofa waiting for them to return, with me sitting in between his legs, my back to his chest. He rubbed my shoulders while I caressed the tops of his thighs.

"What do you think they're going to come up with for our challenge, Love?"

"I have no idea. The last challenge on Survivor is usually some kind of stamina challenge. Stand there for hours, hold something for hours, etc." I frowned. We could both do that. That couldn't be the final challenge.

He began kissing my neck. I leaned my head to the side to give him more access.

"You were magnificent in the last challenge today, Sweetness."

"Thank you."

"It is hard to believe that just a few years ago, you were a frail human…"

"And you were a predator stalking your prey…" I responded, playing along with him.

"Then the lion fell in love with the lamb…" Edward said gently, pulling me closer, his arms wrapped around my waist.

"A lion falling in love with a lamb, huh?" We looked up to see Emmett standing there shaking his head. "Really, that couldn't possibly happen. Where would a lion and lamb be in close enough proximity to actually meet? The lamb isn't hanging out in Africa. The lion isn't prowling any farmlands."

"Jeez, maybe it was a mountain lion that approached the lamb, Hermione," I said, rolling my eyes. "What did you all come up with?"

They stared at us and smirked. They all came up with it together?. _That can't be good._ Then Edward and I heard their thoughts at the same time. We gasped and I moved off of Edward. We both stood quickly.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked.

"Nope. You two have to stay away from each other. No touching in any loving or sexual manner."

"For how long?" Edward asked.

"What difference does it make?" Emmett said. "You can't stay away from each other for two seconds. You're always touching. Look."

Our hands were clasped. We dropped them.

"Why would we agree to this?"

"Because neither of you is the type to back down. You both like to win," Rosalie answered.

"Look, chances are the two of you won't last a day. One of you will crack and the other will be the sole Survivor," Garrett said, laughing.

"But doesn't Alice know who will win already?" Edward asked.

"No, it keeps on flipping," Jasper responded.

I was shocked that there was any vision where I lost. I looked at Edward and he was grinning. He was going to play along with this! I listened to his thoughts; he was looking forward to breaking down my control and was already planning his victory dance. "Sweetie, you're going down," he said, smiling wickedly.

My eyes narrowed as I looked into his and I lifted my shield. _No, sweetie. When we're done with this and you've lost, you're the one who will be going down… _

_On me. _

_Repeatedly, _I thought, sending some visuals his way as I walked out the door.

"Oh, game on, Mr. Cullen."

~#~

There we were, two days later, and neither of us had given in. It was definitely harder than I thought it would be. Yes, I used to travel for work and we could last without having sex, but when I was home, there was no reason to. He was always touching me in a sweet gesture of affection, and I him. It was our natural state.

Therefore, this challenge was torture for us both… and quite unfair for me. Despite the fact that I was able to deflect and project feelings these days, I still absorbed them as well. The family would go to bed and their lusty feelings would be all around me, not to mention Edward's desire, which was radiating from him all of the time. The only thing that helped me was the fact that everyone was betting I would be the one to crack; they figured that my emotion absorbing power would do me in.

Truthfully, this pissed me off. As everyone had been so fond of saying, I had amazing control. So where was their faith? I pretended for a moment that I was this all powerful vampire. What would the Shri do?

The Shri, I decided, would spend a lot of time in her studio. I had some interesting new ideas for some dances and I choreographed them. Of course, to stay calm, I also did Karate. As I worked on my katas, I also imagined that the Shri would make sure their plans backfired.

In the meantime, Eleazar and Carmen came to visit on our second day of no contact. Needless to say, Edward and I were a little more tense than usual. Eleazar seemed almost disappointed that I hadn't developed any new powers. However, upon hearing that I'd been experimenting with deflecting/radiating, you would have thought that I'd invented blood by the way his eyes flashed.

I cut him off before he started imagining the worst. "Before you go there, Eleazar, please know, I'm not creating any new powers. I'm just using the ones I have to protect me from myself."

As the sun was setting on day two, I thought I was going to murder Edward. In his attempt to channel his excess energy, he'd been at the piano. A LOT. He kept playing classical compositions in addition to the ballad he wrote in honor of Esme and Carlisle and the lullaby he wrote for me. The music was so beautiful…

…up to a point. Then it was just fucking annoying. How many more Mozart and Beethoven concertos could I stand? Plus he looked sooo gorgeous with his disheveled hair and his fingers playing the keys the way he usually played me. Seeing him at the piano reminded me of our anniversary celebration a month and a half before. _Jeez! I need him to crack soon!_

In my overly frustrated state, I decided I would leave the piano recital and go out for a hunt. I jumped up from my chair and started toward the door, but then I felt the need to take one parting jab at Edward.

"Dude," I complained bitterly, "can you play SOMETHING different? A different genre, maybe? How about plain ole' Billy Joel?"

The music stopped immediately.

"Uh, oh," Jasper said. Emmett turned to look at him and then groaned. "Nooooo!"

Edward stood up fast, knocking over the piano bench as he turned to face me and then walked slowly toward me. "What did you say?" he asked, his tone registering surprise while his voice took on that seductive luring quality.

I looked at him, my eyes likely registering the same amount of surprise. I was almost completely enveloped in wave after wave of desire but I pushed it back, repelling the waves and sending them back to him.

He was still coming at me very slowly. I looked around at his family. They watched the exchange between us with fascination and clearly got aroused by the lusty feelings I was deflecting. Then I looked back at him and heard his intent. I backed away and shook my head. _Edward, your family is all around us. Are you insane?_

"She wins," he called out, never taking his eyes from mine. "Excuse us." Then he threw me over his shoulder and ran with me to the surveillance room. It was only a matter of seconds when he put me back down on my feet and backed away from me.

"Edward, what the hell?"

His eyes were dark as he growled at me… and then he started circling me like a jungle cat.

"Say it again, Bella."

I thought backward to what had just transpired.

_Wait._

_Is this a joke?_

_THAT was a trigger word for him?_

I registered a quick glimpse into his mind and was amazed as to the reason for his trigger word. Emmett called him this all the time. It was a typical guy thing to say, but Edward never thought of himself as a 'guy's guy' in that way, despite his sexual history and friendship with James, and that he swore like a truck-driver when we were intimate. Hearing me, his wife, call him that, made him feel cool. Manly.

Like a 'guy'.

I smirked. And then I said it.

"Dude."

He growled again and came closer.

And this time, he spoke his limerick.

"All alone with no one around,  
Bella tries hard to not make a sound."

He ghosted to me and grabbed me from behind, one hand covering my mouth, the other playing with my nipples before moving slowly down my stomach into my pants. He continued.

"As Edward plays with her clit,  
And fingers her slit…"

I gasped behind the hand covering my mouth as his other hand followed through on his statements. I leaned back into him, moaning as I waited in anticipation for whatever came next.

"And takes her right there on the ground," he said softly into my ear as he began nibbling on it.

"You win," Edward whispered, "But you're going down anyway, Mrs. Cullen. And so am I. As promised."

The next thing I knew, we were on the floor.

Holy schmoly… I won alright.

_~#~_

As we wound down our two weeks there, everyone, including Kate, Garrett, Eleazar and Carmen, hung out in the living room. I was pleased that Eleazar had behaved and I gave him a small smile. I was not pleased, however, that I could hear Emmett still grumbling in his head about his loss. _Beaten by Bella! That little punk. She'd never beat me without Edward's and Jasper's powers._

I stood up. "Okay, Emmett, I've had it. Quit your bitching. Just accept that you lost!"

He stood up to face me. "Or what, Voldy? Admit it. You'd never beat me without Edward's and Jasper's help."

I considered his hypothesis. "You've got one shot, Emmett. I'm going to give you one shot to knock me down. No telekinesis. No emotion manipulation. No mind reading. I can't use either Edward's or Jasper's powers."

Edward jumped up. "Bella, no! He's strong. You can't fight him!" He looked upset.

I smiled. "Edward, I'm not that frail human anymore, remember? He may knock me off my feet, but I'll recover." I looked back at Emmett. "Outside, you!"

We all went to the front yard. It was snowing and the cool flakes felt nice. I paced around, visualizing my plan of attack. Since I wasn't allowed to listen to his thoughts before he came at me, I needed to be creative.

Working in his favor… size and strength. Emmett was huge.

Working in my favor… Karate and my mental shield.

I took a deep breath and looked at the faces of the family and friends standing around.

As I scanned them, an idea hit me. _Hmm… does it only work with emotions?_ _Worth a try..._

I positioned myself where I wanted to be and posed myself in my favorite confidence-giving stance: Laurence Fishburne challenging Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. My left arm was outstretched toward Emmett, my right bent in a 90 degree angle upward behind me. I imagined the katas I'd learned.

Emmett was bouncing up and down like a boxer, ready for the bell to ring. Before that bell rang, I decided to see if my stunt would work.

I lowered my right arm behind me and touched Kate. I turned my head to look back at her and rubbed her forearm, feeling a little spark from her projected power. I winked at her. "For luck," I said, "You'll want to back away now." I closed my eyes and slowly turned to face Emmett.

I could hear Emmett's muscles as his feet stepped forward to rush me. I opened my eyes and ghost-turned to my left. I dropped down on one knee, throwing a reverse punch so that my arm made contact with Emmett's stomach. Using my shield, and the mini surge of electricity I'd absorbed from Kate, I projected it out through my limbs.

Then Emmett was lying on the ground, stunned.

_Tasered. HA! Gotcha!_

There was silence for a second while the family registered what had just happened, and then they all began talking at once.

"Her shield-"

"Did that count –"

"Absorption power with her shield-"

"My Love, how did you…"

"Did she take Kate's…"

"A powerful vampire, indeed." I looked up to see Eleazar who was once again staring at me.

I shook my head. "Stop it. I'm not 'The One'. I just wanted to get back at Emmett." _Oh! Emmett!_

I spun around and looked down at him. Rosalie was at his side. He looked up at me in amazement and laughed. "That was AWESOME! Holy shit Bella, can you talk to snakes too?"

* * *

**A/N: Ah, those crazy Cullens have too much fun.**

**I keep asking and hoping… if you're out there reading, ****please**** leave a review! **

**Thanks again to my VERY tired and busy beta, Irritable Grizzzly.**


	6. Now That’s a Freakin’ Surprise!

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

**Also, a small shout out to Boston's 'Long Time'.  
**

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* * *

Chapter 6: Now That's a Freakin' Surprise!**

**EPOV**

I held Bella's hand as we walked down Hayes Street toward Absinthe in the Hayes Valley section of San Francisco.

"I can't believe we're doing this," I muttered.

"Be nice. I haven't seen him in over two and a half years," she said. Bella looked excited and although I knew there was no reason to be jealous, it was still Jacob we were talking about, and I remembered exactly when I'd last seen him. The memory wasn't making me all warm and fuzzy inside.

_Suddenly, there he was on the other side of the road walking up Gough Street in our direction. His face broke into a big grin and he started to cross the street, his smiling eyes only on Bella. I looked down at her and she was beaming. I gritted my teeth._

_I was so distracted by Jacob's thoughts that I missed the thoughts of the driver of the blue van who decided to speed through the intersection. The driver raced through the now red light to turn left onto Gough when the other cars on Gough started moving. As the van swerved to avoid hitting the other cars, it was hit and spun around directly towards Jacob._

_"Jake!" Bella screamed and began to ghost to save him. The cars were still coming and instinctively I pulled her back toward me to keep her safe. Meanwhile, Jacob's body flew back several feet, hit violently by the blue van…_

"Edward!" Bella hissed, bringing me out of my fantasy as we made our way toward Absinthe, "Cut that out! There is no reason for any hostility toward Jacob!"

"No reason? At one time he tried to take my woman away from me!"

"Listen, you, I don't want to spoil the evening before it gets started but I will take this brief opportunity to remind you that no stealing attempts would have gone on if you hadn't left, and Jacob was a perfect gentleman while you and I were apart… which is more than I can say for you, Mr. Cullen!" she said, nudging me with her left shoulder.

Alice's light laugh pealed from Bella's other side. "I'll say! For a short while we weren't sure you'd make it to the second wedding! Hell, Emmett was betting that Bella was going to get the first wedding annulled!"

"Alice!" I hissed. "Do you have to bring this up?"

"It's not like Bella doesn't know about it. Besides," Alice continued, "after a few days, I knew it would work out!"

"It took longer than a _few days_ for her to get over it," I muttered. "I didn't think she'd ever forgive me. I wish you would have clued ME in on your vision."

"I'm glad you were worried. It serves you right," Bella laughed. "Ha! Emmett lost so much money to Jasper on that one! When will that guy learn? Doesn't he know the rules of gambling?"

"'Never bet against a Sicilian when death is on the line'?" Alice asked, using one of her favorite "Princess Bride" quotes and grinning.

"No! Never bet against Alice!" Bella said, raising her right hand to high five Alice.

The two of them continued chuckling. I couldn't help but laugh a little too, in hindsight. Still, I didn't like being reminded of the whole incident…

~#~#~

No sooner had we returned from our wedding and mini honeymoon in Las Vegas when Alice started in on the New Year's Eve wedding details. She was on the Batphone with Bella daily and was driving my wife crazy.

"I can guess who that is," I said, hearing the computer chime yet again as we sat reading on the sofa in the study one evening.

Bella sighed as she went to sit in her chair in front of the computer screen and answered the chime. Alice's voice rang out. "Hi Bella! I wanted to discuss the guest list again."

Bella took some unnecessary breaths and exhaled loudly. "Alice, we went over this yesterday. We just finished one wedding…"

"New Year's Eve is only eight weeks away! We have to make sure we get the invitations out in two weeks, which means we need to at least get the guest list finalized."

"Think small. That's all I'm asking. Please! The number of people I want from my side is fairly limited."

"Absolutely," Alice said, "I know. I'm just trying to figure out whether to invite Irina and Tanya."

Bella frowned. "Are you kidding? Tanya? Why would I want her there?"

"Bella, she's practically family to the Cullens, despite the whole Karate studio incident with you in Denali. Besides, you should be grateful, considering what she did for you with Edward in San Francisco."

_Shit!_ I jumped up from the sofa. Bella looked at me confused, and then back at Alice. "What do you mean 'what she did for me with Edward'?"

"Uh, oh," Alice said. I heard Emmett and Rose laughing in the background. "I told you he never told her," Rosalie said. "Kids please don't cause any problems…" Esme's worried voice warned.

I made my way around the desk to look at the computer screen. Alice's eyes were unfocused. When she came back, she looked at me, then Bella. "Um, maybe I'll hold off on the guest list for now."

Jasper appeared on the screen next to her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. He looked back at us and said, "I don't need to know Alice's vision to figure this one out." He looked at me. "Good luck, man." The screen went blank.

Bella stood and walked across the room, and then she turned back to me. She was listening intently to my mind. Her eyes started wandering around the room with her "thinking look".

And then she had it. She saw everything that happened between me and Tanya in Tanya's bedroom when we'd been apart. Her eyes went dark. "I'm just finding out about this now? Were you ever going to tell me, Asshole?!" she shouted.

I held up my hands. "Nothing happened!"

"Oh, yeah, the part with her on your lap in her bed… that looked like nothing," she said sarcastically. "How could you keep this from me?"

"I'm sorry! How can I make it up to you?"

"Make it up to me?" She growled as she ghosted to me and pounced. She had me down on the ground in under two seconds. "You motherfucker!"

_Oh my God!_ I was instantly overwhelmed. She was livid! I could see her point, sort of… I had gone to San Francisco to possibly have sex with Tanya. But we were finished! I'd left her so that she could start again. And ultimately, I wasn't able to do it once I looked into Tanya's eyes and saw that they weren't the eyes of my true love.

However, I'd never actually gotten around to telling her all of this. I wasn't hiding it from her... it just never came up.

_Shit!_ She was radiating her anger. And. She. Was. On. Top. Of. Me.

_OH YES. _

_OH NO._

I warred with myself for a few moments trying to behave but it was too much. Her anger was sucking me in again and I needed to have her right there and then.

I grabbed her hips and pulled them toward mine, letting her know exactly what I was feeling. "No… wifefucker," I clarified, reaching for the hem of her top.

She grabbed my hands and stopped them as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Struggling, I could feel her anger being pulled back. Her eyes opened again; they were still dark but they were under control. I was shocked.

"Wifefucker?" she asked calmly. "Dream on, Edward." She got up and started to walk out of the room.

I sat up and looked at her walking away from me. "Bella!"

She paused and spoke, not looking at me. Her voice was angry but controlled. "I know you like it when I get angry but this time fucking your way into my good graces isn't going to work. You need to keep it in your pants and maybe acknowledge I have something to be angry about… like, why you didn't feel the need to mention this sometime over the past three months." She turned back and looked at me. "Especially if it was 'nothing'."

"I'm truly sorry, Love. What can I do?" I asked.

A small smile formed on her lips and she raised an eyebrow before she spoke.

"Edward's booty call leads to his fate.  
Are you horny, Edward? Go masturbate."

_Well, shit._ I ran my fingers through my hair as I watched her turn the corner and disappear out of view. _Fuck me._

"Not any time soon, Mr. Cullen…"

~#~#~

It took two weeks of talking it out – when she wasn't slamming a door in my face – and some good old fashioned begging on my knees until Bella allowed me to touch her again. Actually, I think it was the part on my knees – my favorite place to be where Bella's naked body was concerned – that finally did the trick. Obviously, we made it to the New Year's Eve wedding back in 2005.

As we neared Absinthe, I squeezed Bella's hand and closed off that memory. She raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

Past love interests aside, it was amazing to think that all of that had occurred only two and a half years ago. So much had happened since then. Shit, so much had happened since the holiday break.

After Bella had knocked Emmett off his feet with her mini-taser, Eleazar began again with his legend and folklore talk and Bella argued back, holding her own. We all had to admit that her temporarily absorbing and then radiating Kate's powers was pretty astounding, but as it wasn't permanent, Bella brushed it off.

We spent the next week in Forks visiting with Charlie, Sue and Seth, inviting them to spend as much time as they wanted with us in our home. A little frustrated at the way things ended in Denali with Eleazar, Bella worked out in her studio a lot.

I joined her often, hoping that I could see more of that hot 'Mama' dance. She treated me to a viewing once or twice, but she spent more time working on a new amazing stage production concept.

"Edward, I'm working here and I will cuff you if you can't keep it under control," she said, feeling my desire roll over her as I watched her from my seat on the floor between two of the windows.

"I'll behave," I said. But after a minute of watching, I started growling. _I will not rip her clothes off. I will not rip her clothes off._

She ghosted to me and cuffed me to the wall and then she continued imagining and working on a tango to E.L.O's 'Living Thing'. It was another fucking hot dance about a sexual encounter between two lovers.

We had to repair the walls when I ripped out the cuffs to get at her and take her on the mats in the room.

Once we returned to Chicago, Bella continued working on her dances and teaching Karate. Some connections she'd made the previous summer were starting to pay off, and she began to have meetings with them. I finished my dissertation and defended successfully, allowing me to graduate in March. To celebrate, we took a week in Santorini.

We had a wonderful time together in Greece. It was the tail-end of the off-season, so it wasn't as crowded. Still, I had to give more than one or two dirty looks to the men who kept ogling Bella wherever we went. While this wasn't a Greek phenomenon – it happened wherever we went – it still annoyed the hell out of me that they were lusting after MY mate. _Mine,_ I growled.

We had a chuckle when a group of young guys arrived at our Οία hotel and stood on their balcony next to ours one evening while Bella and I drank our cordials – in silver goblets – while watching the sunset. They caught sight of us and waved. Their eyes immediately took in Bella before focusing on both of us. One of the young men gestured at the view overlooking the caldera.

"Gorgeous!" he said, looking at Bella.

"It is," I agreed.

"How long have you been here?" another man asked, also looking at Bella.

"A few days," I responded, taking a sip of my drink.

I was lucky I heard the thoughts before they were actually spoken, or I might have done a spit-take… and that wouldn't have been pretty. "So, this part of town is supposed to have a lot of vampires in it," the first man said, clearly trying to get Bella to pay attention to him. "Have you seen any?" he asked, looking only at her.

_What the fuck? Am I invisible here?_

I looked at Bella and raised my eyebrows. She laughed. _Don't worry, I'll take care of this one,_ she thought, as she moved over to straddle my lap and put her head on my shoulder looking at them. "Uh, we wouldn't know. We don't go out much at night," she said, running her hands over my chest suggestively, letting him know exactly how we _humans_ occupied our time.

_You're evil, my love,_ I thought. I was getting turned on with Bella on my lap, which was exactly what she wanted. She deflected my desire from me and sent it shooting back at them.

"Uh, nice meeting you," the leader said quickly. "Guys, let's get going." _I need to get laid, and soon. What was I thinking traveling with three guys!_

"I think I need to get laid too," I whispered to her, scooping her up and carrying her inside.

The truth was there actually _were_ a number of vampires around. For the most part, they just went about their daily and nightly business. Except for one. I saw him on more than one occasion watching us, but he never said anything…

…Until one day when Bella went into town to buy some gifts. She'd been gone about an hour when I decided to go meet her, and there he was, walking down the hill with a donkey.

I nodded to him as I started up the hill.

"Your mate is beautiful," he said in low tones, not a trace of a Greek accent. If anything, he sounded more Italian.

"Thank you," I responded.

"She's a child, no? Did you turn her?" I nodded. I tried to listen to his mind, but it was very jumbled. The one clear image I kept picking up was one of Bella and me. _Two, together as one…_ he thought.

He stared at me for a moment more and then spoke, "You are very lucky to have her. Much happiness to you both, my friend," he said, and he continued walking down the hill. I never saw him again for the remainder of the week, although I kept an eye out for him. I didn't like anyone ogling her, particularly not another vampire.

After a week of worshipping my wife's body, we returned home. With another degree behind me, we were free to go wherever she wanted. With Alice's help, Bella started getting choreography gigs, mostly on the West coast.

Which is how we found ourselves in San Francisco in April…

…On our way to meet up with one Mr. Jacob Black, who had decided to stay in the Bay Area after graduating from Stanford Business School when he landed a job with Google.

_Joy._

"You didn't have to come, Edward." Bella said, hearing my thoughts.

_Oh Sweetness, you know I always love to come..._

"Hey! Stay focused," she said, thinking cold shower thoughts to stop the lusty feelings I was having. "I don't need a bar full of horny patrons, thank you."

I laughed, addressing her original statement. "Like I was going to leave him alone with you?" I said, opening the door for them.

Alice walked in first. Bella paused and looked at me. "Edward, I'm past the Tanya incident and you are past this! Stop being a baby!" she said, poking me in the chest.

We entered and I saw him immediately. He was sitting at the bar. He saw us and his face, which had seemed nervous when we first walked in, instantly softened as he breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness. I'm okay,_ he thought. The time apart from her had helped him heal.

Bella walked quickly to him and hugged him. Stepping away, he reached out to shake my hand. "Edward, it's nice to see you. She looks happy… thank you for that."

_Okay, I have to admit… he _is_ a good guy._ "Nice to see you too, Jacob, and thank you," I said, my eyes shifting toward Bella. He nodded, his lips pursed in a small smile.

Bella introduced Alice as we sat down.

"Bells, you look exactly the same!" I heard the thoughts that accompanied this statement. He was over her but he still thought she was beautiful. His mental tone had a slightly wistful note to it.

_Okay, so there is still a small part of me that wants to drop a piano on his head,_ I thought.

Bella lifted her mental shield. _Edward! He stepped aside for you. Give it up!_

"… Exactly the same! How is that possible?"

She shrugged. "I've been relaxing since December, Jake. New career."

"Yeah, you mentioned that in the email. Wow, I never even knew you did that… dancing, choreography."

There was a part of me that took great satisfaction in being the one to realize her mind was off somewhere else while she listened to her music. This guy, who had been with her for a long time, didn't know her like I did. _Fuck yeah, that's right, I know her inside and out. Carnal knowledge of her, Jacob my man. Oh, soooo carnal._

_Edward!_

_Sorry, Sweetness. Well, not really…_

"And now you're choreographing full time?"

"Not full time," she said, looking at Alice. The two grinned at each other. "But we're working on it," Alice said.

"Alice is my booking agent - slash - manager," Bella explained, as I leaned over to place a drink order with the bartender.

"How did this all come about?"

"It's an odd story. Last July, I went to a 'convention' of sorts in Vegas for Cirque du Soleil aficionados. We got to see the shows and had backstage access to see rehearsals and meet the cast afterward. After seeing the Beatles LOVE show, we got to meet the cast and directors. The music in the show was fabulous and the show itself entertaining. I liked almost all of the numbers, but two really bugged me. Anyway, in talking with the dancers and their choreographer, I mentioned that I didn't think a certain number worked and explained why. They agreed."

Alice was bouncing out of her seat. Jacob looked at her, amused. Her energy was infectious. She chimed in. "Meanwhile, I shopped around a DVD of one of Bella's numbers and suddenly everything sort of exploded. Bella and I just got back from Cirque headquarters in Montreal where she helped them rework those numbers for the Vegas show and we also 'met some people'," she said, making air quotes around the last phrase.

Jacob looked puzzled. "Which means?

"We're getting connected, Baby! And this girl is gonna be the one they're all dying to work with!" Alice said, putting her arm around Bella's shoulder.

Bella looked embarrassed. She glanced over at me, smiled, and continued talking. "Edward finished his PhD and is exploring his options," she said with pride. Then she turned back to look at Jacob. "But because it looks like I'll be out on the West coast a lot, we'll be relocating from Chicago to our house in Forks so that I can travel to Seattle, San Francisco, Vegas and Los Angeles easily."

"You're moving back to Forks?" he asked, looking at both of us.

"Yes, it looks that way," I said.

Jacob laughed. I was a little surprised at the next thought which preceded his statement. "I might just be making a trip up there and begging for a couch to crash on some time."

"Why?" Bella asked.

"Well, you know my history."

She nodded. He looked at me and Alice and then back at Bella. She shook her head, "No Jake, it wasn't my story to tell."

He appeared grateful. He looked back at me and Alice. "Well, I was adopted. My parents, Janet and Richard Black took me in when I was a newborn. It was a closed adoption which meant I didn't know who my birth parents were, and the truth was I never wanted to know. My parents gave me everything."

"They died in a car crash when I was seventeen, during my senior year in high school. I moved to Los Angeles to live with an aunt and then went to college there, staying as far as I could from Bellevue, Washington," he said sadly.

"Anyway, while at Stanford, some friends got on this genealogy kick and started doing Ancestry-dotcom. Just for kicks, I decided to see what I could find out about my birth parents. Turns out I came by this skin color quite naturally. My birth mother was Makah and she died a number of years ago. My birth father is Quileute and supposedly still lives in Forks. On the reservation at 'La Push'.

"Wow!" Alice said. "You could have been a Forks native too!"

"But your life might have turned out a lot different…" Bella said quietly.

"My parents gave me every opportunity. Not sure if I would have been that fortunate had I stayed with my birth mother on the reservation… who knows? Anyway, here is the wildest part of it all: my original family name is Black!"

"Holy cow! That's a coincidence!" Bella said. "I wonder…"

"What?"

"I wonder if you're related to Billy Black."

Jacob's eyes widened. "You know him?"

Bella looked at me, clearly surprised by this turn of events. She looked back at Jacob. "He goes fishing with my dad. That's so weird. Jake. I think that one way or another we were meant to be friends."

Just then, Angela and Ben walked into the bar. We all stood up to greet them. "BeCool! How are you doing, woman?" Angela said enthusiastically, hugging Bella.

Bella pulled away to look at her. "Angela, shhh!" she said as she moved to give Ben a hug.

Angela laughed and greeted Alice. Then she turned to me, gave me a look, and then leaned in to hug me. _She looks happy and sounds happy when I speak to her so that's what matters most,_ she thought. Then she stepped back and gestured with her index and middle fingers at her narrowed eyes and then pointed them back at me.

I laughed. "I know… I know… it's nice to see you, Angela." I looked over her shoulder. "Ben, it's good to see you, too!" I said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Ben smiled as he took my hand and nodded. "Edward. Alice," he said, looking over at her.

Angela at last faced Jacob. Her mental tone with him was reserved as she flashed back to the times she had to comfort Bella over Jacob's crappy behavior. "Well, well, well. Somewhere, there are devils ice skating," she said. "Who would have thought this," she said, gesturing at all of us, "would EVER take place?"

Jacob smiled. "Angela, it's been such a long time."

"I think I must be goin'," Angela said, quickly.

"Time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'" Ben finished, putting his left arm around Angela's waist. He extended his right hand to Jacob. "Hi, I'm Ben, Angela's fiancé."

Jacob grinned. "Fiancé! Fantastic!" He looked around at all of us. "It seems like everyone is acquainted. How did you meet?" he asked, as we pulled up some more stools for Angela and Ben.

"Bella and I were B'school classmates. I met Angela at Bella and Edward's wedding."

Jacob's eyes flashed to Bella. "Seems like I was the only one not at the big event," he teased, his tone playful. His mental tone, however, did not match; it was wistful once again.

Bella cocked her head and then leaned over toward him. I stiffened slightly, knowing this was necessary but I was uncomfortable with it anyway. "It was too soon after…" she said softly so that only he would hear. "I couldn't do it… and I didn't want you to feel obligated to come." She pulled away to look him in the eyes.

He nodded in agreement. "It was the right decision. Thank you."

They pulled back from each other and Jacob looked at Angela and Ben, then back at Bella. "So what's this 'Be Cool' thing?"

Alice responded. "That is Bella's professional name!"

"Bells, no offense, but since when are you cool?" he asked, slyly.

We all laughed. "It's a shortened and morphed version of her name: Bella Cullen… BeCul… BeCool," I said.

"I never claimed to be cool, but if the name works…" she said, shrugging.

I relaxed into the evening as Bella caught up with her old friends. Alice grilled Angela on the wedding plans while Jacob and Ben got to know one another better. Things were really rolling along when suddenly Angela sat upright in her chair.

"Holy shit!" she breathed.

Bella looked at her in alarm. "What?"

Angela was looking over our shoulder toward the front door. "Not only are the devils ice skating, but a whole Zamboni is smoothing down the rink!" she muttered, her eyes wide, looking back at Bella. Then she turned to look at me and her eyes narrowed. Once again, she gestured with her index and middle fingers pointing at her eyes and mine back and forth.

_What the hell? What's with the DeNiro looks again?_ I thought. Bella looked at me. And then we heard what had Angela's focus. We whipped around to look at the entrance.

Tanya had just walked in.

"Do you think it's just a coincidence?" Bella asked in our low tone.

"No, I invited her," Alice said cheerfully.

Bella opened her mouth, clearly ready to question the decision, but Alice was already jumping out of her chair.

"Hi Tanya!" she said, giving Tanya a hug.

Bella and I tried to control our shocked expressions as Tanya strolled over with Alice and smiled widely as she greeted everyone. "Bella, Edward," she said hugging each of us. "Hi Angela," she said. She extended her hand to Ben. "Ben, I'm not sure if you remember me. We met at the wedding; I'm Tanya," she said smiling.

Ben gulped and looked dumbfounded for a moment, briefly locked in Tanya's tractor beam. Then he snapped out of it and nodded, "Yes, nice to see you again, Tanya."

Bella gestured towards Jacob. "Tanya, let me introduce an old friend. This is Jacob. Jacob, this… is… Tan… ya," she said, her words stalling as she looked at Jacob.

Jacob stood like a man in a trance as he stared at Tanya. His expression was so strange… his face was frozen in amazement, almost like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

"Jacob?" Bella snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Jake, are you okay? Earth to Jacob!"

_This is the most beautiful creature on earth,_ he thought. _Oh. My. God._

Alice giggled while Ben and Angela just looked at one another, confused. Tanya lips turned up into a small smirk as she looked back at him and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jacob. I can see you're a man of few words. I think this is the beginning of a be-au-tiful friendship," she said laughing.

Jacob snapped out of it and sheepishly took her hand. Tanya looked startled when their hands met. She looked down at her hand in his and then looked back up at him. _He's quite handsome. Huh._

_Do you believe this, Bella?_ I thought. Bella turned her head to look at me and blinked purposefully, a smile starting to form on her lips.

Jacob pulled up a chair next to him for Tanya. "May I get you something to drink, Tanya? What would you like?"

Tanya smiled and licked her lips. "Something… red and tasty," she said slowly. Angela, mid-sip, choked on her wine upon hearing Tanya's statement and Ben hit her on the back to help her. When we turned to look at her, Angela put up her hands and shook her head. "I'm fine."

For the next hour Jacob and Tanya were in their own little bubble. It was almost as if none of us were there. Finally, we readied to leave.

_Do we tell him?_ Bella asked mentally. _What do we do?_

I shrugged. _If you thought it wasn't your place to tell us about Jacob's history, I feel the same way about Tanya. It's her responsibility to reveal herself, as necessary, to him._

We said our goodbyes to Tanya and Jacob who clearly were staying to talk some more. As I made it toward the door, I spoke in a low tone. "Go easy on him, Tanya. He's a human… and he's one of Bella's best friends."_ Wow. I started out wanting to kill him and now I'm protecting him._

I looked back at her as we started out the door. Her eyes met mine and she nodded slightly. _Don't worry, Edward. I won't hurt him._

Bella, Alice and I walked back to the car slowly. It was quiet for a moment and then Bella and I started talking at once.

"Holy shit! Do you believe-" she asked.

"That was freakin' crazy," I said. "Wow. I never saw that coming!" I exclaimed as I put my arm around Bella's shoulder.

Alice smiled widely as she skipped next to us. "I did!"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Alice... **

**Hey you readers! Please leave a review!**

**Thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly, who does her part to keep my errors to a minimum and my characters honest.  
**


	7. Or Are We Dancer?

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

**

* * *

Chapter 7: Or Are We Dancer?**

**BPOV**

'Goo Goo G'joob'.

What the hell does that mean anyway? At least some of the other words in the song were, in fact, words.

I once read that John Lennon wrote the lyrics to 'I Am the Walrus' in response to finding out that a teacher at his former primary school was having the students read through his songs and interpret them. Kind of sick of having everyone put such meaning into his songs, he wrote it – partially on an acid trip. "Let the fuckers work that one out," he supposedly said.

You had to hand it to him. In the grand world of making up crap, I don't think you can make up more meaningless lyrics than 'Goo Goo G'joob'.

It all started with The Walrus. From there it took on a life of its own...

~#~

At that Cirque convention, I hated The Walrus number and I told them so. Apparently, my comments made an impact. The next thing I knew, I was getting bookings.

Alice had sent my pole dancing DVD to a number of key people, one of whom was backstage with us at the Cirque LOVE show and had heard my critique of The Walrus and Lady Madonna. When she saw my 'Mama' dance routine, I was called down to meet with her in L.A. From there, I met the Pussycat Dolls and Madonna. I began 'consulting', sort of, to "Dancing with the Stars". BeCool was born.

My meeting with Alice in Montreal with the Cirque du Soleil people proved to be very fruitful. Yes, I helped them rework The Walrus and Lady Madonna acts, but we also pitched a new concept that I'd been working on since the last challenge in our Survivor game in Denali. Sexual frustration that week really pushed my creativity and proved to be a powerful motivator…

…As was anger, apparently. My time with Eleazar didn't end as well as I'd hoped…

~#~#~

"A powerful vampire, indeed." Eleazar said, right after I'd knocked Emmett to the ground.

I looked at him and shook my head. "Stop it. I'm not 'The One'. I just wanted to get back at Emmett."

After we helped Emmett up, I could hear Eleazar churning in his head about the legend and the Prophecy again.

I turned back to him. "Eleazar, let's look at this logically, not emotionally. Let's not be driven by some unreasonable fear of the unknown. The legend says the Shri 'retains her humanity.' What does that mean? I'd interpret it to mean that she's actually a halfling. I am not."

I saw him considering that. Taking advantage of his silence, I continued. "The Shri is also supposedly very powerful. What powers do I have that are so unusual? I have the same powers as Jasper and Edward…"

He raised a finger to stop me. "You have ALL of their powers, Bella. You took them from ingestion. That doesn't happen. And now we find out that you can absorb other powers too… by touch."

"That was a fluke and only temporary. Look, I don't have Kate's ability right now," I said, stepping forward to touch him.

"Ay, no!" Carmen exclaimed, grabbing on to Eleazar's arm. I looked at her, startled.

"Carmen," I said, "I'd never hurt him… no matter how much what he's saying is annoying me right now."

Eleazar nodded. "I know you wouldn't try to hurt me, Bella." He looked down at his wife and smiled. "It is okay, mi amor." Then he looked back at me. "But the Shri is also linked to the Prophecy…"

I threw up my hands. "Of which we only know two stanzas, one of which is actually verifiable. The other was never documented and I swear to you it has been corrupted over time to mirror what Tolkien used for his trilogy."

"Nevertheless, the Prophecy speaks of her power and darkness…"

"Darkness is in that last presumably false stanza, which has led to an irrational fear among those who know it! But what is the fear based on? Nothing! We don't even know that the Shri is supposed to be evil."

I looked at all of them and could see that they were considering both sides… emotion and logic. I couldn't believe we were churning through this crap again. I turned away from them.

Edward quickly stepped in front of me. He took my hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it softly. _Go on, Love. Say what you need to say._

I nodded and then turned back to them. "And just to be as thorough as possible, what if – by some wild chance – I am her. I don't have any evil thoughts of domination or darkness. I'm not vindictive. Yeah, people piss me off sometimes, but I always go to my calming place instantly; I step away."

I closed my eyes and took a moment to calm down. Then I looked back at Eleazar. "Find me the other stanzas that will give us more detail. Then I'll start taking this more seriously. Until then, let's cut the Lord Sauron nonsense," I said, turning to ghost to my studio.

~#~#~

We left Denali the next day to go to Forks. During that week, I channeled my anger into my dancing. As I stood in my studio working on 'Living Thing', the conversation with Eleazar bubbled up again and again. And then it all took shape. The story of a fiery woman who was believed destined to be evil but she really wasn't. Almost like Elphaba in the story Wicked, the rumors about her were completely wrong. The woman, wondering about her fate, blends into society and meets a cold-fish of a man one night when she goes dancing. She melts his icy exterior and they fall in love. They break up. They get back together. All told using the songs of Electric Light Orchestra, ala the ABBA themed show Mamma Mia, Billy Joel's Moving Out and the Beatles LOVE.

It began and ended with 'Fire on High'. They meet to 'Last Train to London'. He's enchanted by her to 'Strange Magic.' They have their first and break up sexual encounter to 'Living Thing'. Happy and in love to 'Mr. Blue Sky'. A fight to 'Don't Bring Me Down'. Each alone and miserable to 'Turn to Stone' and 'Can't Get it Out of My Head'. The songs and dances kept coming nonstop at me: 'Telephone Line', 'Confusion', 'Midnight Blue', 'Twilight', 'Evil Woman', 'Do-Ya', 'Shine a Little Love'. There were trapeze, trampoline and bungie acts; there were cha-cha, tango and the hustle dance moves. Before I knew it, I had conceived of the entire Cirque/dance show.

While in Montreal, we pitched the concept to Cirque. Alice managed to get in front of Jeff Lynne – E.L.O.'s leader – and get him on board. The show "Eternal Love Overture" was born. Concept by 'Isabella' – my other stage name.

The family was proud of where I was going and so excited to see Alice using her organizational talents in another capacity other than wedding and party planning. Emmett… well he was his usual self.

"So, Isabella," he said teasingly one day while I was talking with him on the Batphone while Edward was out, "I hear you came up with this big-ass production."

"You heard right, Em. Alice is a great negotiator."

"Sounds like it's quite the concept… and more than a little familiar, oh Evil Woman," he said, chuckling. "But, seriously, what is with you and the old songs all the time?"

"Emmett, old bands are dying to have their work revived. Plus they have a larger portfolio of hits to work with. There was an unending supply of songs to use with E.L.O. It was a no-brainer."

"Dude, you have to get out of the '70s," he said, shaking his head.

I laughed. "Those '70's songs are what got me noticed, Emmett. So, no, I'm staying right there in the '70's, _dude_."

A growl came from behind me. I turned quickly and saw that Edward had returned home and was standing in the doorway. _Okay… apparently all I have to do is __say__ the word, not necessarily to him. Good Lord!_ I turned back to Emmett. "Uh, gotta run, Emmett. Bye!" I said, managing to hit the off button before I was yanked from my chair and thrown up against the wall, my clothes ripped to shreds in seconds.

Shortly after our visit to San Francisco in April, Alice advised us that an apartment there would be a good thing. Never doubting my manager, we purchased an apartment on Nob Hill… which was actually a great thing because Cirque decided to launch the show in San Francisco.

The apartment came in very handy immediately. I used it quite often over May and June to be on hand to help Angela with her wedding. Ben and Angela got married on a lovely Saturday in June, in Napa, overlooking lush vineyards. I was one of her bridesmaids.

Despite Angela's predictions of Hell freezing over, Edward and I found ourselves catching up with Jacob and Tanya quite often. As odd as it first seemed, they were well matched. Jacob, finally ready to be with someone whole-heartedly, had eyes for no one else. Meanwhile, Tanya found someone who adored her the way she had always wanted, and she, in turn, was crazy about him. Edward and I were thrilled to see them both so happy.

It was great having Jacob back in my life. It felt like old times when I had my first heart-to-heart with him.

"So," he began, as he and I walked along the Embarcadero one morning, "he was a vampire all along?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yes."

"And you knew this the whole time?"

"Well, not when I first met him, no. But after our second official date, I kind of figured it out."

"Figured it out?" He shook his head. "What? When he bit you?"

"Now, Jacob, what kind of girl do you think I am? I don't kiss and get bitten on the second date." I said, in mock horror. We laughed. "Nah, he didn't bite me until I was actually in danger a couple of dates later. He did it to mark me… to protect me from an impending attack by other vampires."

His eyes widened. "Mark you," he said slowly. "I'm still learning all this stuff…"

I could see him churning through all of the things swirling around in his head. I didn't even need to try to read his mind; I knew all of Jacob's looks. He smirked. "So," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "did you really tell Tanya that you were going to stake her and then make her watch you ride Edward?"

I groaned and stopped walking. "Oh, man! She did NOT tell you about that!" He pressed his lips together trying to contain his laughter. "She had better have told you what preceded that little threat…"

He looked down and nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, don't worry. She did. She loves that story, actually. She said you were amazing." After a moment, his face became serious. He exhaled and then looked back up at me. "She also said he left you because he lost control. He was killing you."

Tanya had really filled him in. I nodded. "Yes, he almost did one night. From what I understand, it takes amazing restraint to bite a human and not turn them or kill them. I'm sure Tanya has explained the invitation/safe haven rule to you." He nodded.

I continued. "It wasn't safe. We didn't know that when I moved in with him. And my blood was 'calling' to him…" I looked down. "Then the asshole up and left, never explaining himself during all that time." I looked back up at him. "I guess now you can understand my behavior back then."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I get it." He turned and we started walking again.

I looked at him from my peripheral vision and nudged him with my shoulder. "It must have been quite a shock when she came out, huh?"

He chuckled. "Holy shit, ya think?" He was quiet for a moment. I knew what he was going to ask.

"Do you like it?"

"It has its tradeoffs, Jake. I won't sugarcoat it. Blood is a pretty boring diet; every once in a while I actually miss hamburgers… although I know the rest of them don't. And it will be a long existence, but it will be a long existence with him. That's why I did it. I wanted to be with him. I made the choice to be with my mate." I turned my head to look at him. "We were together for a year and a half before I had him turn me. There is a lot to be said about staying human for a while," I said with a smirk.

We were silent for another few moments. I knew exactly what he was going through and I needed him to know.

"It's an amazing feeling, the love bite. Isn't it?" I said, smiling.

He broke into a huge grin. "It's fucking awesome."

~#~

With the show set to open in a few months, I was hopping between Montreal and San Francisco, advising on the routines and setup and training the choreographers to lead the rehearsals. The travel between Forks, San Francisco and Montreal was a bit jarring on my system – an odd thing for a vampire to say – but it was mainly due to the blood I was drinking in Forks and San Francisco. There were more incidences of feeling 'off' after my cordials and it made me miss Chicago even more.

Edward stayed home in Forks when I went up to Montreal as those days were really jam-packed, but he loved coming with me to San Francisco where my time was a little more open. My travels and our time apart really drove him crazy. Since the Batphonesex didn't completely fulfill our needs, when we were together again, we were constantly joined at the hip… or at least someone's hip area was joined to someone else's body part.

In August, Eleazar decided to attend the Seattle vampire convention and he strongly requested Edward's presence. Determined to help ease the tensions between Eleazar and me, Edward agreed to go. He spent the two days and three nights before he left with me in San Francisco.

Edward was a crazy sex machine during our time together, more so than usual, if that's even possible. At the apartment, he had me bent in so many different positions I came up with a potential new Sioux name: Twisted Like a Pretzel. He even decided to surprise me at work, thankfully remembering to lock my office door when he showed up ready to go at it that Wednesday on my 'lunch' hour.

On Thursday, the day before he left for the convention, he showed up again at the theater only to find a surprise of his own.

During a break, I went to one of the small lounge areas and threw myself down on a sofa. The next thing I knew, I heard his voice calling to me.

"Bella? Love?"

I sat up. "Edward?"

"Bella, were you… you couldn't be…"

I heard the confused tone of his thoughts. _Sleeping?_ No, I couldn't have been. But I was in a deep meditation… during which I'd recalled an old memory.

I looked up at him. "Maybe I had too much sun. I think I was just deep in the meditative state."

He sat down next to me. "You were talking… it was almost like when I used to watch you sleep."

"You didn't try to interrogate me again, did you?" I asked, jokingly. He was silent. I exhaled. "What did I say?"

"You said, 'What? What?' And then you said 'ghost'."

I nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. For some reason, I was remembering the cabin in Ward. I was in my bed there and I heard the whispers in my ear again. But this time, when the voice came, it was almost like I could make out the words." I shook my head. "I was so close. It felt like I was missing something."

He frowned. "Ward. Jesus." He ran his fingers through his hair. "That sounded like a dream, Bella."

"Vampires don't dream, my friend. I'm sure it was just a deep meditation. You have been keeping me busy after all, and I've been working so hard on all of this. Between that and the sun, I'm sure I needed to recharge my vampire batteries."

"It is August in San Francisco, Bella. Sunshine is limited."

I couldn't believe what he was suggesting. "Okay, _Eleazar_," I snapped. I stood up quickly. "Are you trying to piss me off? Because it's working!"

His eyes turned dark and then he grabbed my hand and led me back to my office quickly. Clearing my desk of unnecessary clutter – thankfully my computer was at the apartment – he sat me on the surface and started undressing me. With his lips on my neck, he murmured, "Not my intent at all, Love, but what the Hell – pissed off works for me!"

I didn't fight off his lusty waves, instead letting them take me with him. "Then quit thinking nonsense and find me some facts when you're up there in Seattle, Asshole," I growled, grabbing his pants and quickly shoving them with his briefs down past his knees.

"Fuck, Bella…" he groaned, pushing me down on the desk and thrusting inside me.

I was absorbing his overwhelming desire once again and it was driving me crazy. _Yeah, that's right. Fuck Bella. Right now, Mr. Cullen._

After continuing our escapades at the apartment all through the night, I said goodbye to Edward the next morning as he left to join Eleazar at that damn convention. As it turned out, it was just as well that he left because Friday and Saturday proved to be quite busy for me and I didn't need the distraction.

Early Saturday afternoon, some new dancers came to audition and I spent time walking them through the sequence of movements. On the last run through, I came down hard and landed funny. My ankle suddenly hurt.

"Shit!" I yelped, sitting down quickly. Instantly, the show director was at my side.

"Isabella, are you alright?"

_Hurt? What the hell? _I shook my ankle. It was tender, but it was okay. I nodded. "I'm fine. I just landed wrong. I'm going to go to the lounge to sit for a moment."

He nodded. "I think we're done for the day anyway." He stood up and looked at the dancers behind us on the stage. "Folks, thank you for your time. We'll be in touch. Remember, those chosen must go to Montreal for two months of training there."

As I got up, I noticed a tall, olive-skinned man with short cropped hair moving in the back toward the theater exit. I was instantly annoyed. Where was security? Why were strangers watching auditions?

He looked back at me briefly before he left. Based on his movements, I could tell he was a vampire. He looked a little familiar and yet I couldn't place him. The next instant he was gone.

Before going to the lounge, I spoke to the director and addressed the security issue. A vampire could do the Jedi mind trick on any human so getting in wouldn't be a problem, but I still wanted the cameras working and the guards to be on alert so that we didn't have any issues – with vampires or humans sneaking in.

I limped to the lounge to lie on a sofa. The foot was already feeling better, my vampire strength returning quickly. I closed my eyes to think. The next thing I knew, I was in another meditative state, but the vision I had there could not be deemed a memory.

Edward and I were walking on a dirt road, just off of a large clearing dusted with snow. There in front of us, we came upon a man with his back to us. His long dark hair hung over his shoulders, covering the upper part of his dark duster coat. His dog was sitting next to him, looking up at him.

The man spoke to me, his back still to us. "One code…" he whispered. "One coven…" His voice sounded so familiar. He continued speaking. And then he turned to look at me and I gasped…

My ringing cell phone jolted me out of my… meditation. I answered on the second ring. "Hi Alice."

"Bella," her voice cried out, "are you okay?"

"Yes, fine." I paused. "Why? What did you see?"

"I don't know…"

"Alice, are you hiding something from me?"

"No! The vision was just – odd."

Suddenly my phone was beeping as another call started to come in.

"That's Edward," she said. "You'd better go answer it. I'll see you soon, I guess," she said, her tone a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Okay. Goodbye." I clicked to the other line. "Edward?

"Love, are you okay?"

_What the hell?_ "Why, what did Alice tell you?" I asked.

"Alice? I haven't talked to Alice." He paused. "Why, did she see something?"

"Nothing she could figure out. So why are you asking if I'm okay?"

"Bella, Love, we're connected. I just felt something. Just think of it like feeling a disturbance in The Force. It was a tremor and I instantly worried for you."

This was getting weirder by the moment. Obi-Wan was feeling tremors now.

"I just had a small mishap… and then another…" I stopped myself. Did I want to tell him this when he was there in Seattle with Mr. Gloom and Doom? _Not on your life, Bella._

"A mishap?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"It was nothing, Edward. I'm fine."

"Okay," he said slowly. I heard a click on his line. "Love, that's Carlisle. Give me a moment."

He clicked off and came back on quickly.

"Carlisle wants to talk to us both. He's found something in London, and I found something here."

They were both off researching the legend and the Prophecy and they each found something. Suddenly, I was nervous. "Okay, give me a moment to go to my office. I'll see you in a moment," I said, hanging up.

I got up and went back to my office, shutting the door. After I started up the laptop, it was only a few seconds before Edward's beautiful face appeared on the screen. He smiled. "Hi Sweetness. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Carlisle is coming on. Let's patch him in."

The screen soon split and I saw both of them. "Hi Bella," Carlisle said. "How are you?"

_Um, A. Getting hurt? B. Going crazy due to dream-like meditations? C. Hating my diet lately? Which one is the best answer, Bella? _

I opted for D. "Fine thanks. I hear you each found something?" I looked at Edward. "Is _he_ with you now?"

"No, Eleazar is downstairs at the convention. I'm in my hotel room."

I nodded. "So what's the news, gentlemen?"

Carlisle spoke first. "It may not be much, but I found a portrait of the four ancients. I took a photo and am sending it over… now," he said, his hands moving at his computer, typing quickly. He looked back at us. "Edward, you found something too?"

"I learned another stanza," he said, his voice somber. His face looked a little worried.

_Shit. Worried isn't good, _I thought.

"Tell us," Carlisle said, as our computers chimed when his email arrived. I went to open the attachment.

As soon as the photo materialized, my head was flooded with memories. They were rushing at me, coming too fast. "Holy shit!" I gasped.

Which was exactly what Edward said at the same time. Surprised that we shared the same reaction, our eyes met.

Again, we spoke at the same time. "What…?" "Why…?"

Carlisle spoke next. "Bella, Edward, what's wrong?" he asked, looking at each of us.

I took a breath and held it. Exhaling, I looked at both of them and shook my head.

"Not this way, not over the Batphone connection." I looked at Edward. "Edward, hold off on telling us that new stanza. I think we need a family meeting." Edward nodded.

"Carlisle, please take the next flight home to Denali. Edward and I will meet you up there." I said.

I looked back at Edward. "I'm hopping on a flight as soon as I'm off this call and I'll meet you at home. We can go to Denali together tomorrow. Why don't you get started on the arrangements?" I nodded at my father-in-law who was looking at both of us with concern. "Safe travels, Carlisle. We'll see you in Alaska." Then I looked back at my husband. "I love you, Edward. I'll see you later tonight."

"Goodbye my love," Edward said. "I'll see you soon."

I closed the connection and looked at the photo on my screen. I ran my fingers through my hair, then I closed my eyes and swiveled my head on my neck from one side to the other. "That's nice," I said in my usual sarcastic 'Bella-really-doesn't-think-it's-nice' tone, opening my eyes again.

Since I was already on my way to Crazyville, I decided now was just as good a time as any to start talking aloud to no one.

"I'm with you, Mr. Lennon," I muttered, looking at the photo one last time.

"Goo goo g'joob."

Which, I was suddenly fairly certain, meant 'Fuck My Life'.

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**A/N2: Ruh, roh. What did B&E see in the portrait? **

**Thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly for her beta work.**

**PLEASE leave a review! Don't be shy...  
**

_Post A/N:__ If anyone finds out that Cirque opens a show based on E.L.O., please let me know... I want some credit. __Woo-hoo! __I am the QUEEN of 70's Rock!_


	8. VampCon 2008

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

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Chapter 8: Vamp-Con 2008  
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**EPOV**

_Fuck. What the hell is happening? _

I stared at the photo for a moment longer and then closed the laptop. I quickly checked out of the hotel using the TV check-out system, then I sent a text to Eleazar letting him know that I needed to get home and requested that he keep me posted on any additional information. Soon I was in my car and driving back to Forks to wait for Bella.

My head was buzzing with information and I only had a part of it. Clearly Bella had news of her own. Then there was the photo that Carlisle sent. I tried to make sense of the last week and a half…

~#~

_(Ten days before)_

_This can't be good,_ I thought as I read the caller's name on my cell phone. Eleazar. He didn't usually call me just to chat these days.

"Eleazar. How are you? How is Carmen?"

"We are fine, and you?" he asked.

"I'm well, thank you."

"And Bella?"

"She's fine. She's been busy with work, you know."

"Mmmm," he responded.

"Eleazar, please don't start. You know she's careful."

"You know that I am not in favor of vampires being so prominent."

"Oh, please! She's not even IN the shows. Besides, there are vampires much more famous than she is. Presley, Dean, Valens, Belushi, Phoenix. They came, they prospered, they moved on."

"Times are different, Edward. The proliferation of the media and the internet would make it very difficult to fake one's death these days…"

"And this is where her power actually does help…" I stopped abruptly. I was already sick of this conversation. "Listen, I don't want to get into this with you again. What do you need?"

"I am attending the Convention a week from this Friday in Seattle. I think you should be there."

"The Vampire Convention? Are you kidding? The only ones there are a bunch of human wannabes."

"I assure you, it is not as frivolous as you think. I will explain more when we see each other, but you need to be there. I have booked a hotel room for you."

I knew for a fact that the convention had all the hotels in Seattle sold out. Suddenly I wondered how long ago he'd planned for this and why he waited until the last moment to spring it on me. "Wait, how were you able to get a room?"

"We are part of the elite, Edward. We can get whatever we want."

'_Elite'?_ I was shocked. Eleazar had always been very respectful toward humans. Where was this "elite" business coming from? "Eleazar, I can't believe you're saying that!"

"It is true…wait… I'm not..." He paused and chuckled. "Oh! Never mind," he said. "You will see when you get there."

I opened the computer to look at Bella's ever-changing schedule. She was going to be working in San Francisco that weekend. "Okay, I'll be there if you think it's important. Send me your flight information and I'll meet you at the airport."

"That would be great. It will give us a chance to speak before we're in the middle of the madness. I will see you a week from Friday."

As I hung up, I mused over Eleazar's comments. His concern about Bella's prominence was unfounded. She was very careful.

I was so proud of her. She was an amazing dancer with such creative vision. Her focus and passion were evident and she drew everyone to her. She didn't like the limelight and was able to stay in the background despite her leadership role. If she were required to make public appearance at parties, etc., she wouldn't take the job. She even put it in her contracts – her purpose was to make them look good, not the other way around… which, of course, went over very well with the entertainment egos involved. She didn't hang with the stars at events. Her excuse: she was busy enough and didn't need to be hounded by paparazzi.

Of course, the issue at hand was our aging – or lack thereof. The occasional photograph of her was fine; it was usually taken when she was walking to a rehearsal and she had her hair up in a ponytail with a baseball cap and her sunglasses on. On the rare occasion when the members of the press were calling for her to pose, she just used our talents to talk them out of it. She'd smile sweetly and tell them, "Ah, you don't want to take my picture…" And, what do you know, they didn't! Bella wanted the flexibility to stay in this career and then move on when she deemed it necessary. She didn't want to have to pull an Elvis and feign death in order to move through existence. Bella was good at getting what she wanted. People usually bent to her will.

Of course, I was no exception. Oh, hell, that was an understatement. If you Googled 'wrapped around Bella's finger', you'd probably find my picture.

I looked at the clock. She was due in from Montreal in a few moments. I missed her so much, I was actually craving her, but she was gloriously happy with her new career and I was thrilled for her. Since I was enjoying a little downtime of my own for a while, I traveled with her when I could, helping her organize and coordinate meetings and projects when Alice couldn't be on hand.

I looked again at Bella's calendar. Home for two days, then off to L.A. on Friday, moving on to San Francisco the Wednesday before the convention. I had interviews at several of the West coast universities for teaching positions on Monday through Wednesday. I decided I'd join her in San Francisco after my Stanford and Berkeley interviews finished.

I had her pinned to the front door the second after she stepped in and closed it. "You're mine, Bella. Before you leave for L.A., you will be mine for the next two nights," I said.

"As opposed to all the other times when I'm not yours?" she asked wryly.

Her tone indicated a challenge and I was definitely feeling playful. I grabbed her and spun her around, ghosting her to the picture window in the living room. Placing her hands up against the window, I put my body flush against hers, her back against my chest, my hands moving down her arms to her shoulders, moving down her sides until my hands settled in their chosen locations: one fondling her breasts, the other working its way down her stomach and into her pants.

"You're always mine. Sometimes, I just have to show you the extent to which you belong to me." I said, my tongue swirling around her ear. "For the next two nights, we will rechristen every square inch of this house." _We will do it on the counter, I will take her, I will mount her... hey, that's pretty good..._ "I'm in charge."

"Ah, Sam-I-Am, I thought we'd clarified this already. Do what I want, you will." She leaned into me, slowly swaying her hips so that her ass moved against my growing erection.

I grabbed her hips and pulled them closer. She gasped, feeling my length straining against my pants. "No. I am the boss today. Your body is mine… and I'm not going to let you come until I say so… your punishment for staying away from me for so long…"

She turned her head to look at me. "To be clear, while you're my preferred way of getting off, I don't need you to make me come," she said, bumping me once again.

_Jesus, I love that ass._ Okay, I loved every inch of her. And I fucking loved her defiance. I had her naked and cuffed to the bed in under half a minute. I undressed slowly, speaking in a whisper. "My love, it is hard to do that to yourself when you're tied up."

Imagine my surprise when she told me that she needed neither my hands nor hers to get off.

"Show me," I growled.

She raised an eyebrow, smiled seductively and then bit her lip. She moaned.

_Control yourself, moaning is just moaning._

Her eyes were heavy lidded looking at mine. She was watching me as she lifted her shield.

_Ho. Ly. Fuck._

Her Jedi masturbation was HOT. She was imagining me working her over…

My hands.

My mouth.

My tongue.

_Damn, I'm a good Jedi sex-partner. _

I managed to maintain control for all of, oh, one minute. But when she changed the fantasy to show me taking her bent over our loveseat, I lost it. I had her uncuffed and over the loveseat in under five seconds.

As she cried out my name, followed shortly by my release, it hit me: I once again did exactly as she wanted. I collapsed on her, laughing. She turned her head to meet my lips. _Told you, I did,_ she thought, giggling.

_Yes Yoda._

Over the next two days and nights in Forks and several days later during our time in San Francisco, I couldn't get enough of her. Her scent was calling to me over and over. Her taste was like ambrosia. I took her whenever and wherever I – well, we – wanted. Our mutual desire was insatiable. When she wasn't working, I was in, on, and under her constantly. Our couplings were sweet and tender one moment and then fast and frenzied another. Not having enough of her during our first night in San Francisco, I decided on a nooner with her at work the next day on her break.

I tracked her scent to a lounge area and saw her lying on a sofa, her eyes closed and her lips moving. She looked like an angel. Gazing at her, if not for the pale pallor of her skin, I'd have thought she was my Bella in my bed that first night that I watched her sleep.

_Wait. Sleep? What?_

All vampires had meditative states that were used to rejuvenate themselves after being too long in the sun. This… was not that; her state was deeper somehow. And then she started talking.

"What… what?" she said softly. Then she spoke more forcefully, "Ghost!"

There was something wrong here. I could feel it. "Bella, Love?"

She sat up immediately. "Edward?"

"Bella, were you… you couldn't be…" _Sleeping?_

She attributed her state to our rejuvenating mode. When I mentioned that she had been talking, she made a joke of it. I repeated what she said.

Then she began talking about Ward.

I froze. Christ Almighty. Why was she recalling the 'ghost' who spoke to her – in actuality one of the crazy old-school vampires who resided in that remote Colorado town – a few years before we met? Why was she 'remembering' during our meditative state?

"I was so close," she said. "It felt like I was missing something."

"Ward. Jesus. That sounded like a dream, Bella."

She brushed it off. Our endless sexcapades. Her schedule. The sun. _The sun?_ Unsuspecting summer tourists paid dearly for warm sweatshirts when they visited San Francisco in the summer; it was foggy and cold. My mind was churning_…_

She heard my internal deliberations. "Okay, _Eleazar_," she spat as her anger flared up. "Are you trying to piss me off? Because it's working!"

Within moments, my original plan was back on track as we found ourselves in her office, clothes flying everywhere. For the moment, dreaming, sleeping vampire worries were replaced by moans and thrusts and release. But the next day as I flew back to Seattle to meet the King of Concern, it all came back to me.

"_The Shri retains her humanity…_"

Damn Eleazar and his statements! Like Bella, I refused to think the worst until we had more proof. I seriously wondered what he thought we'd find at this convention.

His plane had landed shortly before mine. I found him waiting at my gate.

"Edward," he said, greeting me. "I trust you had a pleasant flight."

I was in no mood for small talk. I got right to the point.

"Why am I here, Eleazar?"

We walked to my car and spoke in our low tones as he explained.

"In 2003, approximately 200 humans – vampire fanatics – got together to have a one-day informal convention. It was organized by humans and was effectively a giant costume party with a lot of vampire chatter – favorite books, movies, myths."

"In 2004, we took over."

"What? Why?" I asked.

We were at my car now. Putting our bags in my trunk, we got in and started to make our way to the convention.

"The first convention randomly took place in mid-August in 2003. In 2004, we were a year away from the date that was foretold in the Prophecy. We decided to use it partially as a forum to monitor the humans to make sure they were still proliferating and believing incorrect information about us. The other purpose was to get together and monitor world happenings in advance of the Shri."

"So how did _we_ 'take over'?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Elite Show Services. It is the perfect ruse. Primarily based in San Diego, they provide meeting and tradeshow services, including registration, set up, planning and security. With the myths about us, no human would ever suspect that vampires would live in sunny San Diego, nor run conventions where they'd be hanging around thousands of humans. Anyway, Elite met with the original convention organizers shortly after that first gathering and lowballed them on the cost for providing our services. Ever since then, 'we' have run the show."

_Ah, so that's what he meant by 'elite'._ "Okay, so vampires run the vampire convention. Have you ever attended one?"

"No, this will be my first."

"Why now? What do you expect to find?"

"Besides the human nonsense?" He reached into his briefcase and pulled out the Vamp-Con schedule. He had a number of meetings circled. "This one looks very interesting, among others. It is called 'Good vs. Evil: Vampire Legends for Modern Times'."

I pulled into our hotel garage and parked the car, and then I took the page from his hands to scan it. From the description, it was clear what the main agenda item was, despite what was written: the Shri. "They have this posted on the list? But what if the humans…"

He smiled as he got out of the car. "This is our meeting schedule, not theirs. These silly humans have their meetings throughout the night and they sleep during the day… just like real vampires do," he said with a wink. "We meet during the day in the conference rooms for our discussions. If any human happens upon one of our meetings, we claim it is a security planning meeting. Speaking of which," he paused, reaching into his duffle bag, "this is for you." He threw me a red polo shirt with an Elite logo on it. "Put it on. It will get you admittance into the key rooms."

The human convention started at sundown with Registration. We real vampires all had a part to play, monitoring rooms and providing directions. The real members of Elite were on hand to utter the key information in our low tones so that any vampire attendee could keep up the "staff" charade for the humans.

The human convention was very predictable. All through the night, they had screenings of TV shows and movies: The Lost Boys. Blade. Underworld. Dracula. They booed and hissed every time a vampire was taken out. Good Lord, the noise they made against Buffy the Vampire Slayer! These shows recycled the same old myths, for which we were grateful. I heard from some of the Elite that in the previous year, after screening a new show about a handsome vampire detective who drank blood bank product and could be in the sun without bursting into flames, the angry Elite staff spoke with the producers and the TV network. The show wasn't renewed past its first year.

The humans went nuts for the special guests. Jonathan Frid, the actor who played Barnabas Collins in the original Dark Shadows TV series. Christopher Lee, who played Dracula long before his roles in The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars series. Elvira set off a frenzy.

Their lectures were amusing. 'What's at Stake: How to Maintain Immortality'. 'The Modern Day Dracula'. 'Avoiding Garlic and Other Unappetizing Treats'. 'Blood Play in the AIDS Era'. Really, the humans had nothing new on us…

Wandering around, I saw a few vampires I had encountered before… and two surprising new ones. One – well, it was inevitable: my pal from New Orleans, Vlad, was now a real vampire. He looked smug as he walked arm in arm with a vampire lady friend, who apparently was his maker. I raised my eyebrows and gave him a single nod. He in turn sneered and kept moving.

The other was a complete shock. When I walked into a seminar on Vampire History: Death and War, the speaker's voice rang out. "… wherever there has been bloodshed, we have been there. We thrived during revolutions, the bloodier the better. The guillotine was one of our more clever creations during my time."

I sat down and listened. The speech was fascinating and it provided a great insight about the history of vampires, their effect on the human world and the fighting that caused so much destruction of our world over the years. He held the attendees' attention as he concluded his speech.

"Wars and fighting will be the end of us. The battles between covens in the past caused the death of two of the prophets and sent the other two into hiding. We now stumble blindly, trying to put meaning into their visions. The current vendettas between the clans will cause the same kind of rift among our world. I can only hope that they will overcome their quest for power and unite peacefully. It is the only way we will survive. Thank you."

After the applause died down and he fielded questions, the room cleared out. I approached the podium. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Edward, I thought I saw you enter the room. It is so good to see you again my friend!"

The speaker was our friend from Paris, Larry Dobby, formerly known as Laurent Robespierre Maubius. He had been a halfling who had once been under the control of the powerful Parisian clan. We had sought his help to understand halflings when Bella had been pregnant about four months before I turned her. "It's great to see you, Larry. I see there have been some changes."

He looked wonderful. When we left him, he was physically about 27 but the clan's leader, Victoria, had been cruel with her treatment and he looked almost 50. We helped him resettle under his new identity in Calgary working for a blood bank. His new life took years off of his face and body. He looked around 35 now, and he was a vampire.

He smiled widely and nodded. "Yes, I made the change about six months ago, thanks to some good friends." The smile left his face as he remembered his turning. It was an accelerated process for halflings; it took about a day and was more painful than the usual process as it condensed the three days into one. I grimaced, seeing his pain with him in his mind.

"They must be good friends if you trusted them enough to help you with the process," I said quietly.

He smiled again and looked over my shoulder. "They are. I am here speaking at this convention with no fear of meeting any of Victoria's clan. That never would have been possible had it not been for your help… and for theirs." Three vampires soon joined us. "Edward, allow me to introduce my friends, Charles, Makenna and Randall. My friends, this is Edward." he said, gesturing among us.

Listening to their thoughts, I could tell they were at first concerned for their friend, hoping that I wasn't a member of Victoria's clan. Their mental tone softened immediately when they learned my name. Larry had been generous in his praise of me and my brothers.

We exited the room together, Larry's friends hanging back to give us some time. "Your mate," he asked with concern. "When we left off, she was pregnant. Did she…?"

I shook my head. "She miscarried. I turned her a few months later. She's my wife now," I said smiling.

"Ah, I am so glad to hear that. Edward, I wanted to stay in touch but I did not know how safe it would be for you. If Victoria's people were looking for me, I did not want it to link to you. I am not worried about that now… but please know that I thought of you and your family often."

His thoughts were sincere. I nodded. "I understand, my friend." I looked at my watch and realized that I was late for the next meeting. "Larry, I'm headed to the Good vs. Evil discussion and I'm late. I must go."

He cocked his head as a small smile formed on his lips. "The Prophecy discussion? We were headed there as well. I do not suspect we will learn anything new. If anything, it will be more unfounded fear." He shook his head. "Fucking Tolkien and his God-damned twisting of the words," he muttered. Then he looked up at me. "Oh, pardon my language! I have picked up a few bad habits from my friends."

I chuckled and held the door open for them as they entered the meeting room, which was standing room only at this point. I saw Eleazar standing against the back wall and led the group to stand with him. After the brief introductions, I asked, "Anything?"

_Nothing meaningful. The group is quite agitated and the speaker is rapidly losing control of the meeting,_ he thought.

He was right. The attendees were quite animated as they started shouting out questions and points. It became abundantly clear that the room consisted of two main factions: believers and skeptics.

"So has ANYONE found her? The Prophecy indicates the North. Do we even know where she might be?" a voice rang out.

"That statement assumes that she even exists. We're relying on undocumented legend! It has been three years since the time that was foretold and nothing has happened," someone countered.

"That does not mean that she's not around. She may be laying low, amassing powers, ready to bind us!" a different voice declared.

"Why is there a baseline assumption, that if such a being exists, she is inherently evil?"

"She amasses great powers. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"We don't even know what her powers are! How can you say that she has absolute power?"

The speaker called out from the podium. "Over time, we have heard of her many powers. The Shri will be able to conjure fire. She will summon the wind. She will be able to make ice. She will manipulate electricity…"

"Oh, come on! Who is the source? How are we 'hearing' about what these powers will be? No one has even seen her!"

Another vampire quickly agreed. "Exactly! You've just made her into a Mutant! Why aren't we looking for Charles Xavier and his little academy?" he mocked. "What, can she talk to snakes too?" Some of the skeptics started laughing.

Eleazar and I glanced at each other briefly before turning back to watch the group.

The speaker called out again, "Mock the legend if you want. But it is said that she befriends the beasts."

"Well, shit! We're considered monsters by the human world. Is it not possible that we're considered the beasts?" The laughter continued.

Suddenly, from my right, Makenna spoke. "Did it ever occur to anyone that that the line "The dark world will be torn" may just represent what we're experiencing here today? Half the room thinks she's bad and the other half thinks it's nonsense."

I looked around at the crowd. There were murmurs. Many, including me, knew nothing of this line. Finally someone spoke. "What is that line? I've never heard it."

Suddenly the room erupted. Shouts of "No!" "We do not speak it!" rang out. Finally, the speaker's voice commanded attention. "Calm down! Silence!"

The cries slowly diminished. He continued. "The line comes from one of the stanzas put forth by one of the two remaining ancients. There is no question about this one; based on my research, I am certain it is accurate, which is why it can be repeated."

His voice was powerful as it carried across the quiet room, and as he spoke, I felt my body turn to ice. Eleazar looked at me, his eyes wide. _For all of our sakes, I hope that it is heaven and _not_ hell, Edward…_ he thought at me.

The room was silent for a moment as the words sank in. Then voices began murmuring once more. At last one called out. "What about those two Ancients? How is it possible that they haven't been found? Why haven't they come forth to clarify the Prophecy?"

Another one agreed. "I've been wondering the same thing. Wouldn't you think that if she were as bad as you believe, they would step forth to lead the charge against her?"

"Well they haven't come out and negated that she's evil either!" someone quipped.

In the middle of all this back and forth, I felt a pull on my body; it came out of nowhere. The feeling was slightly electric, vaguely like the feeling I had whenever I was around my wife. My mind instantly registered one word: Bella.

I gestured to both Larry and Eleazar that I was going to exit to make a call. I quickly returned to my room and started dialing.

She picked up on the second ring. "Edward?"

"Love, are you okay?"

When she paused and mentioned that Alice had called, my antenna went up another notch. Indicating that Alice hadn't told her anything, she inquired about my call. I told her about my feeling that something was wrong and she said she'd had some mishaps, but I could tell she was holding something back. She probably thought Eleazar was nearby. I tried to push for information about these "mishaps" but she downplayed it. I was used to her doing that as of late, but I'm sure she felt the need to do so more now with all this "Shri" business.

Then there was a click on my line. Noting that it was Carlisle, I let her know that I was flipping over to take his call for a moment.

"Hi, Son," he said. "Do you think we can get Bella on the Batphone? I found something that I'd like you both to see."

_Great, he's found something too. This day is getting better and better._ I let him know I had her on the other line and told him we'd be on the laptops shortly.

I switched back to Bella. "Carlisle wants to talk to us both. He's found something in London. And I found something here."

I could hear concern in her tone. "Okay, give me a moment to go to my office and fire up the laptop. I'll see you in a moment," she said.

We finally got situated and after I assured Bella that Eleazar wasn't with me, Carlisle let us know he found a portrait of the four ancients. As he sent it over, he asked me about my news and I hesitantly told him about hearing another stanza. I finally received the attachment and opened it.

I was about to speak when the photo materialized on my screen. I scanned it quickly and froze.

"Holy shit!" I gasped and then I realized that Bella had said the same thing. Our eyes met.

We both obviously saw something in the photo. She instantly went into planning mode and said she didn't want to talk over the phone and we all agreed to meet back in Denali. With a last look at me, she said, "I love you, Edward. I'll see you later tonight."

"Goodbye, my love," I answered. "I'll see you soon."

~#~

I pulled into my driveway and walked into the house. Dropping my bag by the stairs, I went to the living room, poured a cordial and then stood by the picture window looking out at the peaceful forest scenery.

It was too much… all too much at once. I drank the blood slowly and tried to wrap my head around it.

_Fuck. What the hell does it mean?_

I stood there for the next several hours waiting for her to get home.

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**A/N: A LOT will be revealed in the next chapter… although much has already been hinted at throughout this story… and the previous ones.  
**

**Thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly for prying herself from the fun she's having with WII to do this beta work. Thanks to her efforts, An American Vampire in Chicago and Sleeps With a Vampire are now up and running on Twilighted(dot)net.**

**You really want to leave a review… please???**


	9. Houston, We Have a Problem

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.** **The red and blue pills are the property of The Matrix.**

_A/N 1: This chapter continues from where both Ch 7 and 8 leave off._

**

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Chapter 9: Houston, We Have a Problem**

**BPOV**

After staring at the portrait for a few moments, I turned off the computer and slowly tried to talk myself down from the ledge. Making the arrangements as soon as I regained my composure, I took a cab to the airport without bothering to stop by the Nob Hill apartment. I needed to get home immediately. Not one to partake in the wasting of our planet's finite resources, I regularly flew on the normal passenger airplanes to get around. However, on that day I decided to forgo my moral code and take the shortcut; I took advantage of my employer's considerable perqs and flew back via Cirque's private jet, bypassing Sea-Tac to instead land at Quillayute, a smaller airport close to Forks.

The pilots called ahead for me so that a cab would be waiting. As the airport was only ten miles outside of Forks, I was home fairly quickly. I paid the driver and watched as he pulled away, and then I ghosted into the dark house and into Edward's waiting arms.

He cupped my face as he kissed me softly and then pulled back to meet my gaze. He looked at me silently and I heard his thoughts as he replayed the key findings from the Convention. I lifted my shield and in turn let him hear mine. His brow furrowed as he took in everything I had to tell him.

"What does it all mean?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and pulled me close to him, squeezing me tightly into his embrace. I could feel his lips in my hair, kissing the top of my head. Finally he let go, reached for my hand and walked with me slowly up the stairs to our bedroom.

He sat me down on the edge of the bed and then stood between my legs. Suddenly, I needed him. I just needed to have him hold me, to love me, to tell me everything was going to be okay. I reached out and wrapped myself around him, hugging his body, my head resting against his stomach.

He dropped to his knees, still positioned between my legs, and began undressing me slowly. He caressed me gently as he unzipped my hoodie and pushed it off of my shoulders, pulled my tank top up and over my head, then put his fingers in the waistband of my yoga pants and started tugging them off of me. Once I was only in my panties, I helped undress him, unbuttoning his shirt and caressing his chest as I pushed the shirt off of him, loosening his belt buckle, unzipping his jeans and helping pull them down until he was bare.

I slowly scrambled backward on our bed. He climbed in after me and reached out to pull off my panties, discarding them to the side. Then he hovered over me on his hands and knees.

I reached up and my eyes followed my hands as I touched his neck and moved my hands across his strong jawline, across his cheeks and temples and then through his hair. Finally, I looked back into his beautiful green eyes and dared to think what I couldn't bring myself to say out loud.

_I'm afraid._

He nodded and then lowered himself so that his body was covering my right half, his left cheek pressed on my breast, his right arm and leg draped over me, protecting me and holding me. His right hand lightly stroked my skin, skimming the contours of my hip, my belly, my breast, my neck. After several minutes, he spoke.

"I know, Love. We'll figure it out together. I won't let anything happen to you." He lifted his head off of my chest and looked at me. "I can't be without you again, ever."

I was overwhelmed with a flood of emotions rushing at me all at once. "Make love to me, Edward. Please." I whispered.

He pushed himself up and caressed my face as he positioned himself between my legs. He leaned in to kiss me slowly and deeply. His hands roamed: his touch was soft, his lips and tongue gentle as he worked his way toward my stomach.

We made love over and over that night, our couplings so different from the frantic sexcapades that had just taken place in San Francisco. We held each other, taking advantage of our time alone, putting aside all thoughts of legends and folklore before we faced the family. Before we tried to put together all the various pieces of the puzzle that swirled around us.

~#~

We flew up to Denali the next day on an early afternoon flight. Carlisle returned several hours later. Once we were all together, we gathered around their dining room table – used primarily as a conference table for family meetings – to get down to business.

"Let's just face it," I said. "It all points to us… and to me."

"We don't know that for sure," Esme said firmly.

I looked at her and frowned. "If it isn't me, all of this would be one hell of a big coincidence." I put my head in my hands and looked down at the table. "Look, as much as I'd like to hope that there is a Neville Longbottom out there born the same day and that this prophecy is about him, I don't think Ms. Rowling is writing this story."

Emmett's tone was gentle. "Okay, let's take it from the top. What do we know?"

I could see Rosalie out of my peripheral vision as she shifted to look at Edward. "We have that new stanza Edward heard," she said.

Edward reached over and grabbed my hand, forcing me to stop looking at the table. He squeezed it before he spoke. He took a deep breath and then exhaled.

_A northern coven of seven,  
A powerful immortal is born,  
Bring forth either hell or heaven,  
The dark world will be torn._

There was silence as their eyes shifted around to look at one another. Edward continued.

"Then there's the portrait that Carlisle found," he said. He flipped the laptop around and let everyone take a look at the picture on the screen. Along the top of the photo, above each of the men, we could see that Carlisle had added text to the photo. It was their names: 'Marcus', 'Ubricius', 'Aro' and 'Caius'.

"I recognized this one," he said, pointing to Marcus. The vampire was standing on the very left of the four, his dark hair falling across his shoulders, blending in with the dark cloak he wore. "I saw him several times in Santorini, but he spoke to me only once when Bella went shopping one afternoon. He was very interested in her. I tried to read his mind but it was a jumble. His major thought, however, was about the two of us."

"I recognized him too," I said quietly, looking at the photo. "This was the weird guy I saw at the Millsite in Ward about six and a half years ago. He came into the bar with a sword slung around his back, wearing an animal hide coat and weird woolly boots. He kept staring at me all night long."

I looked at Edward and he nodded as he squeezed my hand again. I looked around the table. "The legend says that the Shri is a powerful female vampire who retains her humanity…"

"What does that mean? We have all tried to retain some element of our humanity by blending in and not feeding off of live humans! We're not monsters," Rosalie said.

"Maybe a halfling?" Jasper suggested.

"Eleazar thinks that Bella's extraordinary control, her blood color and the clarity of her human memories address the retention of humanity," Edward said.

"These God damned legends and prophecies are so vague," Rosalie muttered, "and so subjective!"

I nodded and gave her a small smile. "In addition, yesterday at the auditions, I hurt myself." They were all still – even more so than usual, if that was possible. I looked at Alice. "Right before you called me. I came down hard from a turn and got a slight sprain. It healed itself almost immediately, but being a vampire, I shouldn't have been hurt to begin with." I paused. "Why DID you call me, Alice?"

She looked at me, her eyes wide. "I had a jumble of images of you. I saw you fall. I saw you sleeping. I saw you getting sick. I saw you writhing in pain!" she cried. "None of it made sense. When you answered and you were okay, I didn't know if something happened to change the future." She shook her head. "I still don't know."

"You saw her sleeping?" Edward asked.

"Well it could have been sleeping. I don't know," she muttered. "My visions don't come with subtitles you know!"

"Alice," Jasper said gently, leaning over to put his arm around her little form, "we know it's hard to interpret sometimes."

Everyone fell silent again. Then Carlisle cleared his throat. "Speaking of sleeping… the dreams?" he prodded.

I looked at him. "Right. The dreams… or whatever they were. Edward thought I was sleeping when he found me on Thursday in the lounge. And then yesterday, after the sprain, it happened again."

"What was the dream?" Emmett asked.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. "Edward and I were walking down a dirt road, and the ground around us was white with the first snow. On the path ahead of us, we encountered a man standing with his back to us. He had long dark hair and was wearing a duster coat and boots. His dog sat next to him looking up at him. His first words came in whispers. "One code… one coven."

"His next words were more clear and he began to speak louder, letting his voice ring out as he slowly turned to face us. "It is all a misunderstanding. You must protect them, Bella. They are the light. Only you have the power. It was foretold…" When he finally completed the turn, he looked up at me and I gasped in surprise. That's when Alice called and the 'dream' ended."

The family was silent, allowing me to continue. "When he turned around and looked at me, I knew him. He was from Ward too. He was the strange guy who Angela and I passed while we were driving back from the Millsite one night. He was walking down the dark road with his dog. I saw his profile as we passed him and then he disappeared when we looked back at him in the rearview mirror."

"It was this guy, right here," I said, pointing to one of the two seated men in the portrait, the one known as 'Aro'.

"So you believe that you've seen the two remaining ancients?" Esme asked.

"I don't believe… I know. I have seen them… and I guess they saw me, back when I was human. But it's more than that, Esme. When he spoke, I recognized the voice. I just needed to hear it to make the connection."

I looked at Edward, who in turn looked back at me steadily. I nodded. "It was the voice of the 'ghost' in Ward, the same one that spoke to me while I was sleeping in my cabin." I looked around at the rest of them. "As soon as I heard that voice in my dream telling me that it was a misunderstanding, I realized that he was the one who had whispered in my ear back then.... and I finally understood the actual words he spoke: 'Be at peace, my sleeping beauty. All will be revealed. It was foretold… Two, together as one, talents possessed so great…'"

"And that's when I woke up that night, thinking 'Ghost!'" I finished.

"What was that last part again?" Carlisle asked. "Two together…"

Edward ran a hand over his face and then clasped both hands together on the table. He looked down as he spoke. "The one in Santorini was thinking the exact same thing: 'Two together as one'."

I looked at him and nodded. "Two, together as one, talents possessed so great…"

Jasper stood and turned from the table. "…Impossibility, daughter or son, danger to the coven of eight." We all turned to look at him. His back was to us. "One of the vampires who was on hand when Maria turned me, Lucy… her mind wasn't quite right." He turned back to face the table and he looked at me. "During the three days that the venom worked its way through my system while I was being turned, she kept muttering those lines."

The silence in the room was deafening, but I could hear their minds churning through the possibilities. Edward's thoughts were most jarring. _Shit… _I looked at him and he gazed at me, his eyes expressing concern and confusion once more.

At last he spoke. "I received an email from Eleazar earlier this morning. He said that after I left he heard more discussions about the Shri and the Prophecy, and there appear to be two schools of thought. Some believe that the Prophecy speaks only of the Shri. Then there are others who believe that it speaks not only of her, but about her child – her remarkably powerful child."

"Okay, now we know this can't be about Bella because she lost the baby years ago! This doesn't make sense! I think we're back to the notion that the Shri is actually a halfling," Esme declared.

"But can a halfling have a child?" Alice asked. "Unfortunately, we're not equipped to answer that," Carlisle responded.

"Wait," Rosalie said. "Do we have all four stanzas now? Do we have the whole Prophecy?"

"We have a version of it, it seems," Edward said.

_Five and one hundred score years  
Ides of month eight pass  
Bring to light immortal fears  
A wealth of powers amass_

_A northern coven of seven  
A powerful immortal is born  
Bring forth either hell or heaven  
The dark world will be torn_

_Two, together as one  
Talents possessed so great  
Impossibility, daughter or son  
Danger to the coven of eight_

_One child to rule them all  
One child to find them  
One child to bring them all  
And in the darkness bind them_

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Suddenly, Emmett stood and shook his head. "I don't know about this third stanza: it doesn't make sense. Maybe it's a fake as well. But the last part... maybe it isn't all bad." He started pacing. "Let's assume for a moment that the last stanza is a true stanza – contrary to what Bella believes – and that Bella is the 'child.' The guy in the dream says it is a misunderstanding. Maybe that's right."

He started talking faster. "The vampire world – the dark world – knows of the legend and the Prophecy. It sounds scary and many are afraid. All of these elements together lead them to believe that the Prophecy has come true and they're like a mob that comes to destroy the big bad scary monster. But it is the coming together – both for and against her – that binds them." He stopped pacing. "Maybe the binding isn't negative." He looked at me. "Maybe you unite the vampire world at last."

I stood up and went to hug him. I was enveloped in his burly embrace. Emmett's hulking frame and jovial nature could be so deceiving to those who didn't take the time to really know him. The big Hermione-loving lug was actually quite logical despite his child-like personality. And beyond that, he had such a positive outlook.

I stepped back from him and squeezed his hand. "Emmett, God bless you for your faith in me. As much as I don't relish the idea that an angry mob would come with their pitchforks and torches to destroy me, the notion that this whole Prophecy is about unity is a lovely vision."

I paused, steadying myself for the next statement. I had to get it out there. "However, this assumes I'm an innocent in this whole scenario. Have you considered that maybe something is wrong with me? Maybe it just hasn't manifested itself yet. I've absorbed other powers for God's sake!" I looked around the room. "Maybe I'm not the superhero here. Maybe I'm the bad guy."

Suddenly they all jumped up from their seats, agitated and upset. Their voices cried out almost at once.

"No, Bella, that is not…"

"I refuse to believe…"

"Love, how can you think…"

"There is no way…"

"Bella! Are you crazy?"

"We can't assume that…"

"We don't know enough about this…"

Their emotions were overwhelming me. Love, worry, insecurity, strength were all coming at me at once. I wasn't able to deflect it. I held out my hands in front of me to indicate 'Stop'. They quieted down. "Please… I can't… I need some time," I said as I turned to leave the room. My eyes met Edward's and I lifted my shield. _I'm going to my studio. I just need to think._ He nodded. _Go, my love._

I walked slowly to the garage, listening to the gravel underneath my feet and the sounds of the forest all around me. Once inside, I made it up the stairs and turned the lights on to a low dim. I slowly walked around the studio, sticking close to the walls, making loop after loop around the room. My mind churned through the discussion we'd just had and I scoured the possibilities, looking for any unexamined angle that could lead us down another path.

I suddenly realized that it had been over a day since I'd fed. I went to the cabinet that Esme had obviously recently stocked for me and I poured a cordial. I looked out one of the windows that faced the house. I could see Edward standing by one of the windows in the living room looking back at me, his hands in his pockets, his eyes watching me, waiting for what he'd deem an appropriate amount of time until he could come be with me again. Alice stepped up to his side, looked up at him and spoke. "She needs the time, Edward."

I gave him a small smile and then stepped away from the window. I moved to the corner of the room, sank to the floor and drank. I tried to think peaceful, head clearing thoughts. My mind drifted to earlier days when everything was so simple… before I became aware of an entire world that I'd once imagined, but never truly realized existed.

Then one day I saw Edward on the pond, and I was forced to swallow the red pill. I thought back to our first open conversation about his talents and the true meaning of what he was.

"_Can you actually levitate things or grab them from afar?"_

_He hesitated for a moment. He let out a deep breath and said, "Vampires, not as a rule. Me, yes."_

_I gasped. "Too cool!" He turned his head to look at me, a surprised look on his face. I shrugged. "Ice skating and the Force. Vampirism is looking better and better all the time."_

_He uttered a low growl. "Bella…"_

"_I was kidding."_

Ha! How silly was I back then? If only it were that simple… if only our existence could be spent just ice skating and using our Jedi talents to enjoy each other's company. If only we weren't here now, trying to stumble blindly around Prophecies and visions and legends and darkness.

If I could turn back the hands of time and were given the choice, would I have chosen the blue pill back then?

I conjured up that old image I used to love of the pond of perfectly smooth ice. Of the two skaters reaching for each other, twirling and dancing, only now they had faces. Edward reached for me and spun me into his embrace. I looked at him and took in his perfection: his beautiful eyes, his wonderful soul, his amazing mind, his fabulous body.

I let go of the cordial I was holding and held it in the air with my mind, using the Force to float the empty glass over to a table across the room and set it down.

No. Even with all the near-death experiences and the heartbreak, I had found my soul mate, and I would take the red pill willingly all over again.

I leaned my head against the wall as I felt the blood being absorbed once again. I hated these 'off' feelings. I needed to talk to Carlisle about possibly getting a different supply for me. The cordial was leaving a sour taste in my mouth. This was one of those times I wished I could eat a medium rare hamburger. I closed my eyes to ride out the feeling.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled down and under, into another deep meditative dream state. It was the same vision, the one of the dirt road, the snowy landscape surrounding us. There in front of me was the man in the duster – the ancient known as Aro. I was nervous. Everything moved in slow motion. I could hear my heart beating as I slowed my gait and watched him turn.

_Thump, thump._

As he lifted his head to look at me.

_Thump, thump._

As his gaze met mine and he smiled.

My heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest, it was beating so fast.

_Thump, thump… _

_THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP…_

_It hurts. Oh, it hurts._

"Bella…"

_It hurts!_

"Bella, Love!"

I bolted upright. "Edward?" I cried, realizing that he was kneeling in front of me. I put my right hand over my heart and looked at him. "Edward, it HURTS!"

Edward's eyes were wide open as he nodded and gasped. "Bella, your HEART!"

I nodded in return. That wasn't all that was hurting. "OH!"

I clutched my stomach with my other arm and scrambled up to ghost to the bathroom in the other corner of the room. I barely made it to the toilet as I leaned over and threw up the blood that clearly hadn't sat well with me. Then I sat down on floor and leaned against the wall. I could feel a light coat of venom pooling in my mouth, actually trying to counteract the shock that was going on in my system, trying to protect my body. Edward was there immediately; he knelt next to me, his eyes wild, his hands reaching for mine. We stared at each other, trying to absorb what was happening.

My heart was beating. It was beating faintly and irregularly, but it was still beating. And my stomach… no, my abdomen…

Within seconds, Carlisle and Alice appeared in the doorway. Carlisle joined us in the bathroom, knelt down and reached over to start taking my vitals. "Bella!" Alice cried, coming over to my other side and kneeling as well. She reached out to touch my hands that were still clasped in Edward's. "You're…"

There was no need to tell me. It was all swirling around me like a tornado:

Edward's insatiable desire; our increased activity…

_Two, together as one, talents possessed so great…_

My deep meditative state and the bizarre dreams…

Retains her humanity…

_Impossibility, daughter or son…_

I swallowed down another small pool of venom. Nope, not a halfling because halflings weren't venomous in adulthood.

A pregnant vampire.

~#~#~

I am the Shri.

Goo Goo G'joob.

* * *

**A/N2: Yep.  
**

**NOW will you leave a review???  
**

**Thanks again to wonder-beta-woman Irritable Grizzzly, and ****another epharisto to MrsEdwardCullenP for her help with the fourth ancient. She's the flight crew on this crazy plane I'm flyin'. Thanks Pen!**

**BTW: I have noticed a dramatic increase in AAVIC being favorited. As always, thanks to all of you who have been reading the series. **

_Post A/N: __For those of you who haven't seen or are rusty on The Matrix, take the blue pill if you want to stay blissfully unaware of the mess around you and take the red if you want to see things clearly._

_The original info on Bella's first encounters with Marcus and Aro in Ward can be found in Chs 11 & 12 in Sleeps With A Vampire._

_Finally, if you haven't figured it out yet, Ch 7 title 'Or Are We Dancer?' is from The Killers' song – Human. (Look at me - I used a song from the 2000s!)  
_


	10. Watch Out, Here I Come

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

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Chapter 10: Watch Out, Here I Come**

**EPOV**

"Goo Goo G'Joob," Bella breathed as we both sat frozen on the bathroom floor.

Upon hearing those words, my head snapped up.

_What the fuck does that mean?_

As Carlisle leaned over to take her vitals, I realized that one of us needed to gather their wits about them, and quickly. It didn't look like it was going to be Bella any time soon. She sat staring straight ahead, holding onto both my and Alice's hands, slowly banging the back of her head against the wall and chanting in a low voice, "I am the Shri, I am the Shri, I am the Shri."

I stood up and watched as Carlisle finished. He looked up at me and nodded. I reached down and scooped Bella up in my arms, carried her out of the bathroom, and made our way out of the studio and back to the house.

Esme's eyes were wide and full of concern as she stood at the front door, holding it open for us as we entered the house. Aside from her chant in the studio bathroom, Bella hadn't said a thing. I sat her down on the sofa in the living room and caressed her face.

"Bella, Love? Sweetness, please, I'm here. We're all here with you. It'll be okay."

The rest of the family gathered around the sofa. Emmett spoke. "Did we hear this correctly? Bella's pregnant?"

Carlisle and Alice nodded. "It appears so," Carlisle said.

"Jesus, you shoulda double bagged, dude. Double bag…" Emmett breathed.

I hissed at him. "Not funny, Emmett! It's not like we thought this was possible."

Jasper put a hand on my shoulder. "So, it's true?" he asked softly. "The Prophecy? You two, uh, coming together have produced the impossible… a daughter or son?"

_The Prophecy, the Prophecy, the fucking Prophecy!_ I was sick of it. No, there was no way… I refused to believe Bella was going to bring doom to us and to the vampire world.

"Who the hell knows what's true?!" I said, standing up. I shook my head then turned around to look at them. "The whole damn thing is so extreme! You should hear the powers the Shri is supposed to have. She can 'conjure fire'," I said mockingly. "She can 'make ice'. She can 'summon the wind'. She can 'manipulate electricity'." I threw my hands up in the air. "Seriously, I was waiting to hear that she had adamantium retractable claws*!"

"Technically, both you and Bella CAN conjure fire, Edward," Carlisle said gently. "I've seen you light candles and start fires in the fireplace with your mind. And one might interpret taking Kate's taser and using it as manipulating electricity."

"Whose side are you on, Carlisle?" I snapped. "The Shri is supposed to 'befriend the beasts'. I mean, what the hell? This legend is such bullshit!"

"I'll say," Emmett said. "That can't be Bella. I saw her take down a mountain lion last time we were all together and I'm telling you, that shit was not friendly … although, do you to think she CAN talk to snakes?"

Rosalie groaned. "Emmett, let the snake thing go." She looked at me. "Edward, how can we help?"

I looked over at my wife who was still sitting frozen on the sofa. "Bella is my first priority. As she becomes more human, the fetus will suck the life out of her. I won't lose her. That thing needs to come out right away. Second, we keep this amongst ourselves. There is no reason to tell anyone outside of this room, particularly Eleazar. And third, the Prophecy talk stops now. She is not the Shri."

My family nodded.

"You're wrong, Edward."

Our heads collectively whipped towards Bella. She was looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap. I moved quickly to kneel by her side. "Bella, Sweetness, I'm so glad you're pulling out of it," I said, taking her hands in mine and kissing her knuckles.

"You're WRONG," she said flatly, still looking down at her lap.

I was puzzled. "About what, Love?"

She lifted her head and looked at me. "All of it. I AM the Shri."

I shook my head. "No Bella, there must be another explanation…"

She shook her head back at me. "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, my friend. There IS no other explanation. There is enough evidence to indicate it's true. Plus I KNOW it now. I feel it, and I can't ignore it any longer. 'A powerful female vampire who retains her humanity.' Shit, there's probably a neon sign over the house right now that says 'Here She Is!'"

"But Love, the Prophecy is so wrong though. It's all dark..."

She nodded. "I still have my doubts about the Prophecy as well. We don't know what was really said. Rosalie was right… the whole thing is so subjective and vague." She turned her head and looked out the window. "And while I agree we don't want to advertise this outside of those who need to know, there's no reason to keep Eleazar out of it. He is a friend of the family and he may be able to help us get to the bottom of the true Prophecy."

I was surprised by her statement; she had long been uncomfortable around Eleazar because of his beliefs and now she wanted him to help? I didn't like this idea. He was so concerned about the Shri to the point of being fanatical. I spoke my fear out loud.

"But Eleazar could try to hurt you, Bella…"

She turned her head back to look at me. "Do you really think he would? Knowing that he'll lose his own life in the process? He'd have to realize that you'd stand in his way. He won't hurt me."

Jasper stepped forward. "I'm with Edward, Bella," he said. "We can't be sure that he won't try. He's very emotional about this."

She shook her head. "I'm sure," she said, hesitantly. "I've… seen it."

The room froze. "What do you mean you've seen it?" Carlisle asked carefully.

She took a deep breath and held it. Then she looked at everyone before turning her gaze on me. "I absorbed Alice's power," she said quietly.

No one spoke, but their thoughts screamed out in my head. Interestingly, all thoughts were basically the same, including Esme's: _What. The. Fuck._

"Yeah, I know," she said, taking in their thoughts as well. She looked around at them again. "And at the risk of sounding all powerful and Shri-like, I'll admit that it wasn't an accident. I tried to absorb her power because I wanted to see who we could trust." She looked back at me. "I know I looked like I was out of it, but I wasn't. I just needed the time to process." I could feel myself frowning at her.

"Anyway," she continued, "I looked ahead to see whether we could trust Eleazar. We can. He won't hurt me… unless I ask him to," she said, turning her head to look out the window again.

_Wait, what?_

Bella's eyes shifted to meet mine and then shifted back toward the window. She continued talking, ignoring my question.

"Eleazar listens to reason. He's fearful, but logical. So let's look at it logically now."

"The vampire world has been waiting for the Shri to be born. It happened as per the first documented stanza. I was 'born' in August 2005, as was foretold. The Prophecy insinuates I could be bad or good. _Hell or heaven_."

It bothered me that she was already mentally assuming the Shri identity. She could hear my internal discomfort.

_Hear me out, Edward._

"Let's assume for a moment that the Prophecy is accurate and that the fear is justified. Based on the list of talents the Shri supposedly has, it would appear that I have yet to come into many of these powers and start feeling 'almighty' and evil. The good news is that I have enough control to be aware of this in advance… and to take myself out of the equation so that I could keep all of you safe."

Immediately, everyone was agitated. "No!" "Take yourself out?" "What are you saying?"

I clasped her hands tighter in mine. "Love, are you insane? I won't let that happen!"

She took one of my hands and brought it to her mouth, gently kissing it. Then she shook her head and spoke. "Don't argue with me on this one."

Esme spoke quietly, "But Bella, it would kill Edward if you 'took yourself out.' It would devastate us all."

Bella smiled gently. "But if I were evil, Esme, I wouldn't be myself. The Bella he fell in love with would be gone. I'd rather it be my life that ends over his…not yours or anyone else's. It may break your hearts to do this, but if it comes down to it, know that it is my wish." Her next words were more direct. "You take me out before I take you," she said flatly.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her, stood her up and shook her. "God damn it, Bella! How can you think that? I could never kill you!"

"Someone will have to. Look, I'll just ask Eleazar to do it, and he will help me. If it is to prevent this dark thing from happening, it must happen. I WILL NOT be the cause of your deaths or the deaths of any others." Her eyes were fierce and her face determined.

"No…" I whispered.

She smiled and touched my face. "Yes, Edward. Yes. It needs to be stated outright. You all need to understand my wishes while I'm sane and thinking clearly."

Then she turned and stood with her back to us, facing out the window. "And I have been thinking clearly. Like I said, let's look at this logically. I think an evil Shri, or rather an evil Bella, is the wrong assumption. First of all, it comes back to my control. I may be acquiring more powers but for what purpose? I don't abuse the powers I currently have. So any future powers I may develop will likely be treated the same. I'd like to believe that if I were to use my powers, it would be in defense of my loved ones. Moreover, knowing that I _want_ to be good might be all that I need." She turned, looked at Emmett and winked. "Think of it as the Sorting Hat. If I don't want to be sorted into Slytherin, I won't be."

He grinned at her and nodded.

She turned around to face us. "Also, after our trip here last December, I looked up the origin of the name, Shri. It is from Sanskrit and it means Light, Beauty, Prosperity, Rank and Power. It is also associated with the Goddess Lakshmi, which means Lucky Omen. The name itself represents all wonderful things. The ancients had to have selected the name on purpose."

"This brings me to the most important reason why I believe that I won't turn evil. It occurred to me that had they... had Aro and Marcus… truly believed I was a threat to the vampire world, they had ample time to take me out before this. I visited Ward multiple times as a human." She settled her gaze on my father. "Carlisle, do you know anything about the ancients?

He shook his head. "Very little. I know that they were peaceful in general. They would prey upon humans, as was the norm at the time, but they weren't excessive. The two who died were actually trying to stop the coven wars when they were killed."

Bella nodded and smiled. "Exactly. In Ward, Marcus had a SWORD for God's sake! Then he just watched me in Santorini. Aro was in my bedroom whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Either one of them could have slaughtered me while I was weak, yet both let me live." She looked at me. "Why? Why do that if they believed I was going to be an evil threat?" She looked around at the rest of the family. "I think it's because whatever I am, and whatever I'm becoming, is necessary. They wanted it to happen."

I walked over to her and touched her face. She gave a small smile. Then her face became serious. "So, we might as well face the fact that I am the Shri. I don't know what it means, but I'm not going deny it."

"And I'm not aborting this baby."

_Oh, man, she was making so much sense up until then._ I shook my head.

"No, Bella, it's too dangerous."

"I'm still part vampire…"

I reached out to rub her shoulders and arms. "Yes, but Love this is completely uncharted territory and we have NO idea how this pregnancy will work. I won't put you in danger again."

She smiled at me. "Here is what **I** know. A)…"

_Jesus, here comes the list again._

Her eyes narrowed at me and then she continued. "A) We have two doctors – two vampire doctors – in the family. My odds of survival are better than normal. We know how to turn me, whether by blood or by venom. If it gets to that point, you'll save me."

_God, your faith in me! _I thought as I grimaced.

_I have absolute faith in you, Edward,_ she thought in return.

"B) Two and a half years ago, I wasn't ready for a baby. And heck, I'm still not sure I am now, but this is the product of our love. 'It's a living thing. Such a terrible thing to lose…'" she sang softly, a small smile on her face. "It is a miracle that the two of us together could create a baby.

And C)," she said, her face turning serious as she wrenched her arm away from me, "I'll be damned if anyone tries to take our baby from me. And that includes you, Edward!"

She looked around at us all and then she started walking away quickly. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a toilet bowl…" With that she ghosted to the nearest bathroom and slammed the door. We heard her retching before the door even shut.

We stood there stunned for a moment. Rosalie spoke first. "You tell them, Sister," she said softly, a smile forming on her face. "And THAT," she said, pointing in Bella's direction "is why I love that woman!" Rosalie ghosted down the hall after her. Esme followed right after. Knocking on the door, Rose called out, "Bella? May we come in?"

~#~

In retrospect, I guess we should have noticed the signs. Her overwhelming call to me. Our increased sexual activity. It was so reminiscent of the time shortly before she became pregnant in May '05. But whoever heard of a vampire getting pregnant?

Then there were the things I didn't know about, like how often she was feeling 'off' after drinking blood. She'd mentioned it on occasion but she didn't want to be "a pussy" – yes, those were her words – about it. It had been happening the entire time, since she turned, and she didn't realize just how abnormal that feeling was for a vampire.

So as it turns out, having homes in San Francisco and Forks wasn't good for Bella's system. Because of the density of great jobs at high technology companies in these areas, young women were putting off starting families for a while in lieu of keeping their careers. As a result, there were higher numbers of women who eventually sought fertility assistance and their donated blood bank blood had higher levels of hormones. Normally, this would mean nothing to a vampire. Blood was blood, except not for Bella. Her body and blood absorbed. It absorbed my telekinesis and mind reading. It absorbed Jasper's emotion reading. And it absorbed and maintained high enough doses of human female hormones to turn her back, at least partially, into a human female.

The first two days after returning to Denali were torture. In between failed attempts at an ultrasound, a gynecological exam that she insisted I do because of her discomfort about having her father-in-law looking at her 'down there', and a permanent seat near the toilet bowl, Bella was looking haggard and thin – aside from her growing tummy… and we were all in the dark about what to do. Bella couldn't keep the blood down, no matter which blood type we tried – all free and clear of hormones – which Carlisle brought home.

Our family was a great support, as always. Alice dealt with her work commitments, making sure that Bella wouldn't be held in breach of contract. Claiming she'd come down with another case of mono, Alice managed to negotiate that Bella could continue her Cirque work, watching and advising the lead choreographer during rehearsals via the Internet.

Rosalie and Esme, who had never fulfilled their desire to have and raise children of their own, were supportive of Bella's desire to have the baby and attended to her every need, even if it meant sitting with her in the bathroom and talking her through her nervousness about being a mother. Jasper worked to keep Bella as calm as possible when she started to panic about the baby's health. And Emmett… well, he took it upon himself to try to cheer his little sister up every chance he could.

"You've got a pain in the ass kid, there, Voldy," Emmett said, sitting on the bathroom floor with Bella, putting a cloth up to her head as she leaned against the wall. "A finicky one. Definitely Edward's kid," he said with a wink. "I'll bet he's holding out for Mickey D's already. I hear kids love that crap."

Bella's head cocked to the side and then she looked over at me where I was positioned against the other wall. I nodded and stood. "Carlisle?"

Carlisle appeared in the doorway and ran his hands through his hair. "God bless you, Emmett," he said with a smile. "We need to concentrate on what _the baby_ needs…"

"… and it is appears that this is a venomous baby, from what Larry told us about its growth rate," I said. "Which means it eats human food."

"And her digestive system will absorb it differently so that she can handle human food, even if it is in liquefied form," he murmured. I nodded and turned to kneel in front of Bella. "Sweetness, do you think you could try to eat something?"

She grimaced. "Would anyone care to join me in a blended 'Royale with Cheese'?"

~#~

As disgusting as they looked, the blended burgers worked. Within hours, Bella's strength picked up. Once she started eating the baby's food, she was able to take in some blood for herself. By the end of the first week her baby bump was small but her health seemed good. She started doing some basic katas in her studio just to keep herself and the baby healthy and calm.

However, I was still nervous. Larry had explained the outcome of halfling births for both venomous and non-venomous babies. He told us of how the mother typically died in either case, but what happened to halfling mothers? Had there ever been one? And how were babies delivered in those cases?

Despite my effort to keep my escalating panic to myself, my Betazoid** wife could feel and hear me. "Maybe you should go see him," she said quietly, as I climbed in bed to spoon her.

"See who, Love?"

"Larry. You should go see him, Edward. I believe he can help us too."

I lifted my head and moved so that my chin was on her shoulder. "You believe… or you know?"

She turned her head to look at me and she smiled. "Well, I don't know anything for sure… but I asked Alice to look and she saw you go to him in Calgary. I bought you a ticket. You're on the first flight out the day after next… very early morning."

I shook my head. "No Love, I don't want to leave you."

"It's a short trip; you'll be gone only a day. You'll have only a few hours with him but I think it will be enough to get his help. You must go: this isn't something that can be discussed over the phone."

I knew that she was right but the thought of separation was killing me. She heard my thoughts. _We hate being apart from you too, Edward,_ she thought, a smile in her mental tone. I nuzzled her neck and pulled her closer to me… and once again watched her through the night as she 'slept'.

I alerted Larry to my upcoming visit and flew to Calgary, leaving at one a.m. the next day. Larry met me at the airport early that afternoon and drove me to his home, which was in a secluded area near a forest. As I had indicated that I wanted to speak with him privately, he asked no questions until we were safely in his house.

"Speak, my friend. Clearly, you've come here to address something very important. You may speak in confidence."

I ran my fingers through my hair and looked down. "When we were in Paris, you told us of your history and about halflings and their mothers. I am wondering…" I began, looking up at him, "have you ever encountered a pregnant halfling?"

He shook his head. "A pregnant halfling? No."

"How about… a pregnant vampire?" I asked slowly.

His eyes widened. "Is it even possible?" he breathed. "Wait. Why do you ask this?" He looked at me, his thoughts moving quickly around the meaning. He froze. "Your mate?"

I nodded.

"But you said you turned her… so is she vampire or halfling?"

"She doesn't fit what you described as halfling, Larry. She's venomous, she still has her speed and agility, she craves blood, but aspects of her body have turned back to human… and she's pregnant."

He paused before he spoke. "Edward, when did you turn her?"

I didn't have to answer. I heard his thoughts as he pieced together our conversation about the timeframe. He knew when she was pregnant the first time. I'd told him in Seattle that I turned her a few months later. I nodded and said nothing.

"She has powers?"

"She has mine. She has telekinesis and mind reading. And she can manipulate emotions like my brother. She got this through blood ingestion."

"Ah, her blood absorbed human hormones?"

I was shocked at how quickly he arrived at that conclusion. "How do you know this?"

"I work at a blood bank. I've often wondered about that." His eyes softened as his face fell. "With two venomous parents, she must be expecting a venomous child. How far along is she? Is she showing yet?"

"As far as we can tell, she's a week along, and yes, she was showing after two days. She's actually doing remarkably well; we figured out a suitable diet. She's staying calm."

"How can I help?" he asked.

"Is there anything you can think of that we should be prepared for with this birth?"

I was agitated, pulling at my hair. I needed some hope.

"I can't lose her! I won't!"

He thought carefully as he processed through the information. "Venomous babies bite their way out of the womb, but her womb may be in 'vampire healing mode' such that the baby can't get out. It is likely that you will have to deliver it by Caesarean." He sat thinking some more. "The human part of her will be in pain; the vampire part may not accept pain medication too well. An epidural or morphine shot may have only very temporary effects. And then there will be the blood loss. I'm not sure ingestion will help her heal if she's already a partial vampire…"

Larry continued thinking aloud, giving me great information. I took it all in, knowing that once again, he was helping me to save Bella's life.

Soon it was time to go. It was fairly quiet in the car as he drove me back to the airport. "Thank you for trusting me. Edward. You were right to do so. I will never betray you or your family. I will say nothing about this, not even to Charles, Makenna and Randall."

I could see in his mind that he really meant it. "Thank you, my friend."

He thought, rather than spoke, his next words, lest anyone hear our conversation.

_You know, I do not believe the Prophecy is correct. _

I looked at him.

_I've thought about the Shri a lot. And I do believe that there is some misunderstanding about her. Do you know that Shri means light?_

I nodded, remembering that was one of Bella's definitions.

_I met your mate, Edward. She isn't meant for darkness. I truly believe that._

I returned to Denali just over 24 hours later. As I drove up to the house, I could see Eleazar closing the front door behind him and looking out at me as I made my way to the porch. The concern that he constantly had in his eyes since he voiced his suspicions to me at our wedding was gone. I was baffled by the obvious change.

"Eleazar? What?"

I was shocked as I heard his thoughts. He was like a man who finally found religion after hearing God speak.

"Your wife is incredible," he said with deep admiration in his voice, "She asked me to take her life, Edward. If she becomes the thing we fear, she asked me to end it. To lead the charge."

I uttered a low growl, furious that Bella had decided to address this without me. For all I knew, she probably sent me away just so that she could speak to him.

He chuckled, "Don't be angry with her, my friend. She was right to tell me. She said that she needed a back-up plan and this is it." He smiled, "But I don't think it will get to that point. She told me about the ancients. They knew who she was years ago, but did nothing. She's right. This was meant to happen."

He touched my shoulder and then turned to walk to his car. He paused before getting in. "The Prophecy stanzas – they've been tainted. I know it now. I will help you in any way that I can," he said gently.

I made my way up to our bedroom and found Bella in our bed, lying flat on her back, one hand near her head and the other down at her side, once again in a very deep meditative state. I knew she wasn't sleeping because her brain was still vampire and that never shut off. But her body needed rest and her mind was helping her accomplish that.

I looked at her and took in how beautiful she was. Like most human women, her pregnancy was actually making her glow. I was astounded. I crawled in next to her and softly let my hands caress her. Good Lord, she smelled good! Everything about her smelled good, her skin, her hair. With a shock, I realized that even her blood smelled good. And she was warm! God help me, my erotic thoughts took over as I looked at her.

Almost immediately, she started moving and moaning. I watched in fascination as her unconscious mind took in my fantasies and brought them into her dream state. Her body was getting aroused. _Great, another thing about her that's smelling good right now._ I nuzzled her neck and couldn't help myself as my tongue darted out to taste her skin. _Mmmm._

She 'awoke' with a start. "Edward!" she cried out, her body just on the cusp of an orgasm. She was disoriented and then her eyes focused. She immediately noticed that her pajama top had a few buttons unbuttoned. "Were you touching me?"

"Sorry Love," I said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to molest you. Your dreams were so erotic… I don't think I was completely inappropriate... at least no more than usual. Your blood was calling me."

"Wait, I thought you said that pregnant women are not appealing to vampires."

"I did and it's usually true, but you're not an ordinary pregnant woman, Sweetness," I said, as my hands wandered down her body. I slowly made my way to my favorite place and gently pushed a finger in. She arched her back and inhaled sharply. She was warm and wet. I groaned. "God help me, I want you, Bella. I want all of you."

She was technically past her first trimester and she was as horny as I was, evidently.

"Then take me," she breathed.

_Bite me, taste me, love me Edward._

And so I did.

~#~#~

I held her all night as she rested. I was overcome with emotion. During our lovemaking, I was consumed with thoughts only of her until the end when at last I dared to think it.

_She's carrying my child. I'm going to be a father._

The feeling was overwhelming. The possessive feelings that often came over me when I was with her tripled. I could only call out her name in response to her cry at our climax.

As daylight broke, I lay still, wrapped around her body, caressing her small belly and humming her lullaby gently in her ear.

Her eyes fluttered open and gazed tenderly at me. The tenor of her thoughts was… odd.

"What?" we both asked at the same time.

"I didn't say anything," I said.

I heard it again.

"Love, you didn't just lift your shield to speak to me?" I asked.

"No," she said, stretching, "I'm too tired."

_Jesus, I'm going crazy._ I felt like Gene Wilder asking Marty Feldman and Teri Garr who made the 'yummy' sound in Young Frankenstein.

I heard it once more and then time stood still as I realized what was happening. I sat up abruptly and put my hand on her belly. Bella heard my thoughts immediately and sat up as well.

"Oh my God! We can hear her!"

"Her, huh?" I said with a smirk. I pressed my ear to her bump. "She OR he… loves your voice. She or he loves my voice." I said, looking up at my grinning wife. "God, Bella, this is OUR baby."

She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head as she looked at me. "Holy Shit, you're just figuring this out now? Hello, where have you been this past week? Welcome to the party Mr. Cullen!" she exclaimed.

"Watch your language, Love," I teased, "there is a child present."

~#~

The next two weeks went quickly as we all prepared for the upcoming arrival. The baby 'spoke' to us often, but its thoughts were confusing. Sometimes the mental voice was very passive, and other times it was forceful. I couldn't help but revel in the fact that this baby appeared have elements of both of our personalities already. We realized immediately that neither of had any clue about potential baby names and the initial ones we came up with didn't suit the baby's seemingly changing personality. Bella believed that the right name would come to us and as always she was right; we chose a boy and girl name that we both liked but, much to Emmett's chagrin, we kept the names a secret.

Bella gained very little weight. In fact, she barely looked pregnant but for the small soccer ball she appeared to be carrying. Carlisle and I spent time planning for the unknown. We were flying blind as questions kept arising: Are venomous babies smaller because they spend less time in the womb and grow faster outside of it? When was she technically due? Would her water break like a normal human birth? Would her body reject pain killers? How do I turn her when the time comes?

And then, without warning, it happened one afternoon in early September. As Rosalie helped Bella up to go to the bathroom, she groaned.

"Oh, damn!" she said, looking down at the liquid on the couch. "Did I spill something?" Then her eyes widened. "Oh! I think my water broke!"

I ghosted to her side and picked her up to carry her to the hospital bed we set up in a spare room. "Oh, God, Edward, it hurts! Holy shit! This is happening FAST!"

Carlisle was at her side instantly. "Bella, I'm going to try to administer this epidural but the venom in your system might fight it off. I have to really force the needle in, as your exterior is still vampire."

"Anything, try anything!" she groaned. He nodded, then slammed the needle into her back with precision and administered the anesthetic quickly. She shouted out from the initial intrusion, but then it began to numb her.

Bella's eyes were wide with fear. "Edward, I hear her! She can't get out! She's trying to bite her way out but it's not working!"

In her state, Bella was emoting and radiating her fear. I felt it affecting me._ God help us. My Bella. Our baby. I need to protect them both._

Suddenly, I felt the peaceful waves that could only be coming from one source. I turned and saw Jasper standing at the door, gripping it tensely as he tried to keep the situation calm. "Thank you," I breathed.

Bella grasped my hand. "Please Edward! Help her! She's so scared that she's speaking twice as loud as normal. Don't let her die!"

I could hear the baby panicking inside. "I'll get you out, little one," I murmured. I was amazed at how calmly I was speaking despite my overwhelming fear.

Carlisle picked up the scalpel quickly and paused before moving. "Bella, how is the anesthesia?"

Bella's grip on my hand was like a vice. I knew then that it was wearing off as the pain was overtaking her body. "Don't worry about me. Just get her out! Go, go, go!"

"Jasper, go now," Carlisle said softly, knowing the smell of Bella's blood would be overwhelming. Jasper left immediately closing the door behind him and Carlisle worked quickly, first getting her hooked up for a transfusion, then making the incisions. Bella screamed out; the epidural had worn off.

"We're hurrying, my Love," I breathed.

He pulled back the skin and Bella's blood was flowing fast. I leaned over her stomach to pull the baby out but what I saw momentarily stopped me in my tracks.

_Oh. My. God._

~#~#~

Twenty fingers.

Twenty toes.

Two heartbeats.

Two sets of thoughts.

Twins.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Baby! x 2. The wonder twins have arrived... (like I sorta mentioned in Ch 1... LOL)  
**

**Another thank you to Irritable Grizzzly for her beta work!**

**Please, please, please review!**

_Post A/Ns: _

_I have NO idea whether Seattle or the Bay Area has any higher incidence of fertility issues than other parts of the country. I just made it up for the story… this is fiction, after all._

_* Because of Bella's growing powers, I make a lot of X-Men references in this story. Adamantium retractable claws refers to Wolverine. _

_** Finally, a Betazoid is an empathic and telepathic species from Star Trek. They can communicate telepathically with other Betazoids, and can sense emotions._


	11. More Cowbell

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. **

**Not mine: Caddyshack, Saturday Night Live skits and The Pretenders' 'Don't Get Me Wrong'.**

**

* * *

Chapter 11: More Cowbell**

**BPOV**

They say that women get a form of 'mommy-amnesia' after giving birth. They see their kid and they forget the pain and everything else that happened up until that moment.

_Yeah. Not happening here._

When this all went down, I knew that I was going to remember this holy shit pull-my-bottom-lip-over-my-head-and-down-my-whole-body pain for as long as I lived.

Which, from what I could tell, wasn't going to be that long.

~#~

It had all been going so well! Too well, I guess.

Fairly soon after realizing I was pregnant, we figured out what the baby needed and I was drinking nasty blended human food in addition to my cordials of blood. The baby was loving it. I, however, was not, but I certainly wasn't having morning sickness anymore and I was able to continue to work remotely and get some exercise in the studio every morning.

My horny teenaged husband was making me feel worshiped and special by making love to his pudgy-stomached pregnant wife as often as possible. _I adore my beautiful wife, I will love her my whole life…_ He even bit me, at my urging, carefully. Good God! While I remembered the feeling, very little could compare to the experience of the vampire love bite for the human. I could feel the baby practically purring with joy!

We discovered soon after that we could hear the baby's thoughts. The look on Edward's face at the moment of discovery was a thing of beauty… all that was needed to complete the picture was a set of wings and a halo; he looked like he'd been dropped down from the heavens with all the choirs of angels. We were quickly able to let the strong little sucker know that kicking mommy and attempting to break her ribs wasn't a good thing.

Esme started renovating the spare room down the hall from ours and we worked on plans to redecorate one of the rooms in the Forks house for our newest family member. Rosalie started looking for new condos for us in San Francisco, finding a lovely three bedroom place in Russian Hill. Alice bought baby clothes. Lots of baby clothes, in traditional boy and girl colors, and in all sizes because venomous halflings grew FAST.

As for the baby names we selected… well, those were inspired by a dream. THE dream. Once again, in my meditative state, Aro spoke to us. It was the same scene – almost. Edward and I came upon him on the dirt road. He whispered, "One code… one coven." And then the dream took a different turn. As he spoke to us, he stepped forward and touched each of our chins, raising them so our eyes would meet his. "They are the light. They are the light."

His words were still swirling around me as the dream faded away. 'The light.' Just like the Shri. What was the light? Who was the light? I decided immediately that whatever this Prophecy was about, I wanted as much good karma around the baby from the beginning. I went to the computer and looked up the meaning of names associated with light. Looking over my shoulder as I searched, Edward squeezed my hand when he saw two names he liked. They, as it turned out, were the exact two names I had chosen. We had them!

However, we decided NOT to share them with the family in advance, despite Emmett's overwhelming curiosity.

"Aw, man, why aren't you telling? I won't say anything."

"Bullshit," I fake coughed in my hand. "You'll be mocking the name left and right, and this kid can hear you! We don't need the baby coming out of the womb with a complex. There will be plenty of time to develop idiosyncrasies once he or she is out and safe."

"But don't you even want to know the gender? I'll bet Alice could find out for us! Instead she's buying boy and girl clothes when we could have just one set and not be wasteful!"

"No!" Edward and I cried at once, and then he calmed down and spoke for both of us.

"First of all, we're not dictating Alice's shopping habits; she's buying the baby clothes all on her own. We're going to donate the clothes we don't use to Goodwill, so nothing is going to waste. Second, we don't want to know. Whatever we have, as long as he or she is healthy and Bella makes it out okay, is fine by us!"

"Wait, doesn't Alice already know?" Rosalie asked.

Alice growled from the upstairs bedroom where she was helping Esme.

"Okay, we'll take that as a no," Rose said, "But why not?"

Jasper spoke quietly. "She's a little baffled herself. She thinks that Bella is blocking her."

"Me? How?"

We heard another growl from upstairs. Suddenly Alice ghosted into the room. "I don't know," she whined. "Either you are or the baby is, or maybe it is the combination of you both. The visions keep shifting! In one vision, I see a girl. Later I'll have a different vision of a boy. The only thing I know is that you're both going to love the kid like crazy. We all are."

Emmett laughed. "Ah, I guess we'll just have to wait and see like normal people. Whatever you do, don't name it anything weird, like some combination of your parent's names or something, or I guarantee I will mock the hell out of the kid."

Yes, it was all perfect. Our family was around us, excitedly waiting for the event. Heck, I'd even made peace with Eleazar.

Then, it all started happening at once. One moment I was in the living room, rising up from the white couch and looking at a wet spot, and the next moment I was in the spare bedroom on a hospital bed, the pain increasing rapidly. Carlisle gave me an epidural which lasted for maybe two minutes… enough time for me to stop my moans and hear the baby.

I could hear her yelling inside my head. She was trying to get out, but my womb wasn't letting her cut through. Her thoughts were LOUD. Like double the volume.

At first Edward started panicking but thankfully, Jasper stepped in to help keep him calm so that he could gather his wits about him.

"I'll get you out, little one," Edward said calmly, touching my stomach.

Carlisle inquired about my state, but I couldn't think straight. My baby was stuck and needed to come out.

"Don't worry about me. Just get her out! Go, go, go!"

Jasper left, no doubt to get away from all of the blood, and the calming waves disappeared. Carlisle quickly connected me to a bag of blood: my blood, that we'd been collecting for the past few weeks in the event of a transfusion. Then he sliced into me. _JESUS!_ I felt every molecule of steel in the scalpel and couldn't stop my scream.

"We're hurrying, my Love," Edward whispered.

There I was, cut open and bleeding, my insides exposed. And then there was Edward, taking his freakin' time getting the baby out. I was astounded. WHAT. THE. HELL???

He stood, there, frozen and staring. I was in so much pain that at first I missed what he was thinking. My vampire brain was processing one millisecond behind him.

_Did I hear twenty toes? On one kid? No wonder he's staring!_

_Wait, did he say twins?_

"Twins?" I gasped. "Edward, Carlisle, please, get them out, now!"

He reached in and pulled out a baby, handing it to Carlisle. Carlisle smiled. "It's a boy."

Edward reached in and grabbed the other baby. He smiled his holy shit beautiful smile. "Bella, it's a girl! We have a boy and girl!"

For just a moment, I went numb and it was bliss. I was relieved they'd come out as babies; I'd had a dream over the past two weeks that I'd laid an egg.

"Let me see," I whispered.

Carlisle and Edward stepped closer to me on either side and showed them to me. They were tiny little suckers. "Hey, babies," I breathed, "one of you sure was noisy in there. Are you going to be good little ones for me?" _God, they're so beautiful! They are the light…_ "Lucien… Alena…" I reached out and put a finger in each of their hands.

Time suddenly sped up. I had an instant image of what I looked like. Clearly the image was accurate, because I knew for a fact that I did look like – and was – death warmed over. Then the numbness instantly disappeared, and I felt my open abdomen. I screamed out again.

"Bella, Love! Stay with me! Esme! Rosalie!" The door opened and Esme and Rosalie came running in to get the babies.

Edward bit into his forearm and started dropping his blood in my mouth. I tried to swallow but only a little went down before I felt my heart jolt. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't swallow. I was getting cold. The room started fading as I felt my body convulsing.

"Jesus, Carlisle! She's bleeding out! She's going into cardiac arrest!"

Suddenly, Edward was biting me all over my body. He bit purposefully, at vampire speed, inserting and sealing venom at my ankles, my wrists, and my neck. He seemed to be everywhere at once. I felt instant heat in all of my pulse points.

Carlisle's voice was commanding. "The venom shot, Edward! Now!"

I saw Edward's panicked face above mine. Suddenly it contorted in rage. "Don't you fucking leave me, Bella! Do you hear me?! NO!" he roared.

I saw his hand come down and a flash of silver whisking by before I felt the full impact of his blow to my heart. For a brief moment, I wondered if I was going to sit up in shock with a needle sticking out of my breast like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction.

I registered the crack of my breast plate from his blow right before I felt the fire instantly take over. I barely felt Carlisle as I watched him cleaning the blood off my body, quickly stitching me and covering my body.

_Bluepill-bluepill-bluepill-givemethefreakinbluepill!_

Oh God, THE FIRE! It was starting all over. It was like the bite from Heidi in Volterra, but everywhere all at once! I didn't want to scream. I didn't want him to feel this with me. I looked at Edward. His eyes were wild, his hair more disheveled than normal; he looked like a red-headed Einstein. I felt his remorse and his worry and it was overwhelming to absorb. I wouldn't be able to take it if I had to deal with the fire and his emotional state. I also knew that I might not be able to control myself, especially with my ability to radiate. The pain I could throw back at them would be torturous for us all.

I knew what I needed to do. In fact, I'd known since the day I decided to keep the baby. I'd been practicing and I could only hope it would work.

I groaned loudly as my body writhed in pain. "No, no, no!" I shouted. "Jasper!" Jasper was instantly there by my side. I grabbed his hand, but the sentences wouldn't form. I needed to protect them. I needed to shield them.

I said the only words that would come out of my mouth and hoped he'd understand me.

"Absorb! Radiate!"

Jasper's face contorted. I knew he was feeling my pain.

My eyes left his as I motioned over to Edward, then back to him. "No worries!"

"Love only!" I gasped, looking at Edward. "Love only…"

Finally, using all the control I possibly could, I stilled my body and threw out my shield. I could feel it around me, like a cone of silence, trapping my pain inside with me. I could see Jasper and Edward reacting immediately, instantly registering the absence of my agony…

…right before I shut my eyes, went deeper into myself, and it all went black.

~#~

_Holy shit, I'm dying again! _

_And, fuck, I can't go by blood-sharing again because I'm already a freakin' vampire! __Shit, shit, shit!_

There is this scene in Caddyshack where Bill Murray, as the ridiculously crazy Carl Spackler, recounts the 'tip' he once received from the twelfth son of the Dalai Lama:

"Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

And the moron says: "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

Good Lord, how bad could I have possibly been in a past life to deserve total consciousness on my deathbed not once, but twice??? I knew darned well I wasn't being punished for my most recent 29 years on the planet.

_Goody Two Shoes, God – remember? Or are you just trying to warn me to be good in the next life? Because I sure as hell don't want to experience this again! No evil Shri-stuff. Got it!_

I decided right then that if they ever made a movie of my life, "Death Becomes Her" would be the title. Sure, they already made one by that name starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, but I didn't think it was that great, and honestly, my story was more fitting.

For the past seven years, death surrounded me, became me. Hell, it was my best God da– I mean, Gosh darned friend! I had vacationed for years in a vampire town where I was monitored by Ancients. I was captured by a Parisian clan of vampires. I'd been beaten by a sadistic vampire and staked in the process. Of course I was also battered and bitten by some Italian vampires. I'd technically died once already, in the arms of my future husband… and look! Being the bizarre freak of nature I apparently am, I was having déjà vu all over again.

That husband of mine! God, I loved that beautiful man so much. But there was a wee part of me, as I burned in the fires of hell, which was cursing Edward's damned penis full of super swimmers. I decided right then that when this was all done, I was having my tubes tied. _Wait, can they do that to a vampire? Would the tubes untie themselves with our vampire healing?_ _Shit! My turning had better work this time!_

So. Um, venom.

_Three days??? They endured this for three freakin' days? _

I couldn't decide which was worse at that moment. The liquid nitrogen-like feeling of burning and freezing when turning by blood ingestion, or the breath of Satan working through my veins with the venom. Neither of which was particularly FUN.

In theory this was going to take much less time, as I was already part vampire and Edward had put the venom EVERYWHERE. But how long would it take, and how long could I maintain this shield? I was days away from my birthday. _I'd better be done by then or I'll technically turn 27... or, shit, is that 30? Oh, that is SO NOT happening. Speed it up, venom!_

I started scrolling through my head as if it were an iPod, trying to find songs that might be the slightest bit distracting. Unlike the first time I turned, my morbid mind found songs that centered around death or could be interpreted as being about death. Seal's "Prayer for the Dying". Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End". U2's "Walk On". I was fairly annoyed; those were all sooo slow and NOT distracting! _Damn it: aren't there any lively tunes about death? _Finally, I hit upon Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"

The Reaper stayed with me. It had a good beat that I could count to and it enabled me to ride out the heat for a very short while. I kept the song replaying in my head… until an image of Will Farrell pounding on the cowbell and gyrating wildly starting permeating my thoughts. _Blech!_ THAT visual was SO not necessary.

_Goo Goo G'Joob, Goo Goo G'Joob, Goo Goo G'Joob_ I chanted silently in my desperate attempt to bleach that Farrell image out of my head…

_Wait! I am the Shri, for God's sake! Where are all my superpowers to help me through this?_

I needed to be The Phoenix, rising from the ashes that would remain after the fires completed their torturous path through my system. I needed to transcend my Jean Grey*/Bella self and tap into the powers of the Shri.

I thought about all the powers I was supposed to have. Could I actually make ice? Because that sure as hell would help right now…

I flexed my hands. _Nope. Not forming a snowball._

I thought cold thoughts: snowshoeing in Ward. Lying face down on a pond of ice and looking at the bubbles below the surface. Walking down Michigan Ave. on a cold November day. Frozen lemonade.

_Nope. Not helping. 'Make ice', my ass... _

_What else is cold?_

At that moment I felt his hand press into mine.

_Edward._

His hand squeezed mine and I felt him. I felt his love wash over me. He and Jasper understood what I needed.

"Love only!" I had gasped. Send me positive waves of love.

I didn't need all of the Shri's powers. At that moment, mine were enough. I took his love and absorbed it. I tapped into it. For the past three weeks, our body temperatures were different. I used his body to cool the heat, even if it was only mental for the moment. I conjured up a Jedi version of Edward and re-imagined my cold husband's body making love to his warm, partially human wife…

~#~#~

I had expected him to be angry that I'd spoken with Eleazar while he was away seeking Larry's help. Instead, I woke up that night in the throes of an orgasm, Edward's horny thoughts infiltrating my dream state. _Wait. It's not just his thoughts_… My pajama top was half unbuttoned. The man was fondling me! When I called him on it, he said my blood was calling him. _Okay, isn't this what got us into this state to being with?_

"Wait, I thought you said that pregnant women are not appealing to vampires."

"I did and it's usually true, but you're not an ordinary pregnant woman, Sweetness," he said. Then his hands continued moving and he fingered me! _Oh yeah, right there._.. I inhaled and held it. He groaned, "God help me, I want you Bella. I want all of you," he said, huskily.

And I wanted him. Badly. My morning sickness over, I was erotically charged. VERY erotically charged.

"Then take me," I whispered. _Bite me, taste me, love me, Edward._

He froze. "I can't…"

_Yeah, right._ I rocked my hips against his hand.

"You won't hurt me. You won't hurt us. Just count. I'll stop you if you get too far…" I pulled my top off. I looked him in the eyes and waited to see whether he was with me. I could hear him warring with himself about what he wanted and his innate need to protect me all the time.

"Your judgment can be flawed when it comes to protecting me, my Love," I said, subtly reminding him of our time apart. His eyes met mine, immediately registering my meaning. The look of worry was replaced with unmasked lust.

His hand moved to my panties and I lifted up so that he could remove them. He quickly discarded his boxers and kissed me. "I love you with every fiber of my being, my Bella."

"I love you too, Edward," I said, caressing his cheek, "and I trust you. Please… bite me."

He kissed me softly on my neck and whispered, "As you wish." Then he bit down.

"Oh. My. God!" I cried. Oh, how I remembered that feeling, so different as a human.

_Yes, _he thought._ Oh my God!_

Once again, I was one with him. My body stilled as he drank me, counting slowly so that he could stop. It was almost all the same as before I turned the first time. His sensual velvet tongue lapping up the blood. The temporary paralysis. The slow, deep pull. The only difference was that my vampire brain registered it differently. I wasn't as out of it. He pulled his fangs out and looked at me and I craned my neck as I lifted my head up so that I could lick his lips, tasting my blood.

_I do taste good._ I teased.

That did him in. He thrust into me and started a steady rhythm, his hips moving with mine, careful not to put too much weight on my belly.

_Only you, Bella, only you. Be mine forever. _

I could hear his thoughts with each move of his elegant body and I could feel his lust and love pouring out of him. I absorbed it all with every movement. While I lay in my hospital bed replaying this scene, imagining his Jedi body on me and in me, feeling his cool flesh against my hot skin, I rode through the fires counting along with his silent chant that accompanied every thrust that evening:

_The TASTE of your blood_

_The WARMTH of your flesh_

_The FEELING of being inside of you_

_My wife… God, I love you_

_My life… God, I love you_

_My love… Yes, I love you_

_My baby… I… I love you both,_ he thought as I climaxed and he followed.

"Edward," I breathed.

~#~#~

Once again, I thought of the love of my existence and remembered there was something to hold on to… something better that was waiting for me beyond this torture, and that his love had given us two beautiful children. The three of them became my focus until the moment the fires in my body centralized in my heart, burned excruciatingly hot… and then suddenly stopped.

I discontinued Jedi Edward, dropped my shield and lay still, registering the tastes, smells and sounds around me. I heard the rustle of the clothes they must have dressed me in. I could smell his amazing honey, lilac and sunlight scent and feel his hand still holding mine.

And then I felt his lips on mine – lips that no longer felt cool as our body temperatures now matched – and I inhaled sharply as that kiss sent a shock wave through my body from my head down to my toes.

I could hear his mind before he spoke. "Bella," he murmured, his lips still caressing mine, "open your eyes, my Love."

I didn't want to. I was enjoying this too much.

"Bella, I know you can hear me." I opened my eyes and looked at perfection again.

_Yep, still stunning. _A Pretenders' stanza instantly popped into my head:

_Don't get me wrong,  
If I'm acting so distracted  
I'm thinking about the fireworks,  
That go off when you smile..._

He was smiling his holy shit amazing smile and I couldn't stop myself. I grabbed him and pulled him down on top of me to kiss me. He eagerly complied, deepening our kiss, his hands starting to roam.

"Ahem," we heard. Breaking the kiss, we saw the whole family standing at the doorway, smirks and smiles on their faces. Lucien and Alena were there with them, cleaned and bundled up.

_Damn it_, Edward thought, not wanting to break our connection as he started to get off of me and the bed. I grabbed his shirt collar and kept him close. Cupping his chin with one hand, I gazed into his beautiful eyes and smiled. I needed to tell him the most important thing that had been floating around my brain over the past half day.

"I love you, Edward Cullen. Body and soul."

I paused for a moment.

"And if it is remotely possible, you are SO getting a vasectomy, my friend."

**

* * *

A/N: To quote David Bowie: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...  
**

**Lucien: pronounced "Lucy-en." Alena: pronounced "Uh-lay-nuh." Both names are associated with light. Don't give me grief.  
**

**Thanks for reading so far. Please leave a review! **

_Post A/N: If you haven't seen the Saturday Night Live sketch known as 'More Cowbell', it can be found here: http://www(dot)funnyhub(dot)com/videos/pages/snl-more-cowbell(dot)html_

_*Jean Grey is an X-Men character with superior telepathic and telekinetic powers. She rises from death and eventually becomes The Phoenix._


	12. It Takes a Coven

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. ****The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by ****Just4ALE. Piano Man lyrics owned by one Mr. Billy Joel.  
**

_A/N1: I received a few comments after the last chapter about the pronunciation of Lucien's name as Lou-shen. Yep, I've heard it that way as well, which is why I gave you my pronunciation. I didn't want it confused with Lucian, the head Lycan in Underworld. I mean, there aren't werewolves in my story..._

**

* * *

Chapter 12: It Takes a Coven**

**EPOV**

Turning Bella was once again a traumatic event for both of us, particularly since it occurred immediately after the arrival of our children. For the sake of her survival, we were unable to revel in their birth for much longer than a minute; Esme and Rosalie took the twins instantly so that Carlisle and I could save my wife.

I'd so hoped that we could turn her by blood intake, but it was instantly evident that the vampire part of her was rejecting it. So as the human part of her was dying, I was left with no choice but to turn her by venom.

In preparation for this possibility, I'd suggested a venom injection straight to the heart, as the closer the venom was to the heart, the faster it would work its way through the system. Carlisle was surprised, but pleased at this idea; in the meantime, he and Bella regularly collected her blood to use in for the childbirth… in case there were complications.

Bella was in agony as the venom began spreading and she radiated pain. It was shooting out of her, and it hit us steadily like beats on a drum. My poor girl! I wanted more than anything to protect her, to shield her from what she was about to go through. She could only convey a few words at that moment as she called Jasper over to assist:

"Absorb! Radiate!" "No worries!" "Love only! Love only…"

Suddenly, she was gone. The waves of pain ceased altogether. Her eyes closed and she lay unnaturally still.

Jasper, Carlisle and I all looked at each other. "What just happened?" Jasper gasped as we immediately registered the void.

Carlisle did a quick inspection. "She's fine. The venom is working its way through her system right now," he said, and then looked at me. "Remember when you first called me on the Batphone and asked for my advice about Bella? You told me she was very reserved and almost as controlled as I am. That was clearly incorrect," he said, shaking his head as admiration seeped through both his mental and vocal tone. "Edward, she has more control than any vampire I've ever seen, including myself. I think she's protecting us."

"How?" Jasper asked. "How is this possible?"

Alice entered the room, grinning widely. "It's her shield. I guess all of the practicing in her studio paid off."

"What the hell? I thought she was doing karate," I muttered.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Edward, she's the Shri, for God's sake. You don't think she can multi-task?" She looked at Bella. "Oh jeez, look at her clothes, all bloody and torn!" She ghosted from the room to get some new clothes and returned quickly. "Cullen men – out, now!" she ordered, "I'm going to redress her," she said, pushing us towards the door.

"Alice, she's my wife. I can stay."

"What kind of father are you, Edward? Go see your babies. It will only take a few seconds."

I was torn and my mind was spinning. _Father. Yes, my children. Jesus, what kind of father ignores his newborns? But my wife… _

Jasper spoke quietly as he touched my shoulder and guided me out. "It's okay Edward. You're not expected to figure this all out in a matter of minutes."

Alice closed the door behind us. I looked at him. "What did Bella mean before she shut down?"

Emmett walked up to us with a baby in his arms. "Dude, I know that you're a little frazzled right now with all this, but damn, you're usually so on top of everything! It seems clear that she was asking you to lay off the worrying because she was absorbing it. Imagine what she's going through right now! The venom is burning her alive and besides that, she's a sponge to your emotions. Pain and worry. Not a good combo." His expression changed and grinned at me. "Wanna hold your daughter?"

His words hit my brain as I realized how right he was. _Love only._ She needed me to send her positive waves of love. I felt my body calm instantly. I had more love for Bella than my body could contain. I could easily spare some for her.

I looked down at the little bundle Emmett had placed in my arms. Her eyes were closed but she was wiggling around. She had a light coating of hair on her head. It was brown with a small hint of red in it. Her fingers were so small; I put one of mine in her whole hand. I was memorizing every pore, every freckle on her little face when her eyes opened. I gasped. Chocolate brown, just like her mother. My frozen heart melted. "Alena," I whispered as I kissed her on her forehead.

I looked up as a beaming Esme approached me, holding Lucien. His eyes were also open. Green. They were green, just like mine and the coating of hair on his head matched my bronze-brown color. It was amazing!

"Am I mistaken, or are they slightly bigger than when they came out of the womb just a little while ago?" I asked, looking at them closely.

Carlisle stepped forward. "No, you're not mistaken. Based on Larry's information, they're going to grow quickly. They were venomous in the womb, but they're not venomous right now; it appears to have gone into dormancy already. Everything he's told us has been accurate so far."

Lucien's little hand reached out as he stretched in Esme's arms. At the same time, Alena's hand did the same. I heard the whisper of their thoughts. I moved closer to Esme as both of the babies reached out to each other and touched hands. They mentally sighed.

Suddenly an image flashed through my mind. Darkness, panic, a flash of light, my face looking down in amazement. The image changed to a view of Bella, sweaty and covered with blood, her exhausted face smiling and saying "Hey babies…"

The image ended and instead the thoughts changed to curiosity. Where was she? Where was that woman from the image? Where was… momma?

I looked up at my family in awe. Jasper was grinning, reading my emotions and experiencing them with me. "I believe that one of these two can project thoughts…" I said in amazement. I leaned over to kiss Lucien and handed Alena off to Rosalie. "I need to get back in there with Bella."

I sat in the room with her for the next several hours, touching her warm skin, feeling it cool as she slowly turned back to a vampire. Her wounds were healing. I could hear her heart racing. The pain must have been excruciating… and yet she lay still. I got nothing from her, but I gave her my all… I let all of the love I'd felt since the moment I met her flow freely from me. A century of pent-up longing all aimed at the lovely creature here by my side: my soulmate. I put her hand in mine and kissed it. "My wife. My life. My love. Come back to me. I'm here. Come back."

At last her heart stopped and the 'void' of energy that had surrounded her during her turning, was gone. I kissed her lips softly and felt her love and desire radiating back at me. Her eyes were open and her lips were upon me in an instant. The family watched our semi-passionate reunion with amusement. With her last smart-ass comment about a vasectomy – _Wha?_ – she was back.

~#~

The next several months were a blur. Bella's transformation back to vampire was easy and her control never wavered. She took to motherhood like a natural, her grace and elegance manifesting even as she undertook this whole new challenge.

One of the unforeseen joys of this challenge was that she was _slightly_ more distracted with the kids around. This, of course, was a blessing in disguise because even a small amount of distraction gave me an advantage; distraction meant surprise, and I was able to find ways to piss her off on occasion. _Yee hah! Ride 'em cowboy!_ Our sex life was as great as it ever was. The kids slept through the night, leaving me ample time to get down and dirty with my wife. _I will take you when the kids go bed, I will eat you, and you'll give me head…_

Bella went back to work fairly soon after giving birth. She and Alice limited her workload to the Cirque show only, which cut back on the travel schedule significantly. I took on the role of primary caretaker. At first I started calling myself 'Mr. Mom,' as my early 1900's upbringing had instilled a traditional perspective on family roles. Needless to say, Bella slapped that antiquated ideal out of my head rather quickly – literally.

'Eternal Love Overture' opened in November and was an instant hit. Her workload shifted dramatically after that, as she and Alice resumed individual contract negotiations with various pop stars to do the choreography on their music videos or concerts and a few variety shows in Vegas. Cirque kept her on retainer for advice on all of their ongoing and future shows.

Eleazar, Emmett and I did more research on the Prophecy. We were all now convinced that the last stanzas were wrong. Obviously, the third stanza mentioned a daughter or son, but not both. In addition, the last one talked about one child. Either this stanza was about Bella, or it was – as she believed – a warped version of what the world knew from Tolkien's work. In neither case did she think it was about our children.

I'd deemed it fate that we met in Ida Noyes Hall that night over five years ago. It seemed I was more than right. We truly were destined to meet; it had been foretold. Bella and I talked about the first pregnancy and her miscarriage. Back then, she had blamed the miscarriage on the fact that she was so torn about the pregnancy and had been completely convinced that she had _made_ her body abort the baby. Now we had a different possibility to consider: what if that miscarriage happened because it was not yet her time… because she was not yet the Shri?

Finally, there was the dream and Aro's first whispered words. "One code… One coven." We had no explanation for that, but one thing seemed clear: the prophecy was about the whole family, in particular both Bella AND me.

Which is why, when Bella, the twins and I finally moved back to Forks, the whole family eventually migrated with us. As they all were part of this legend, we decided it was important to stick together. Rosalie and Emmett moved with us in November. Jasper and Alice followed about a month later and finally, by February, Esme and Carlisle had joined us, with Carlisle taking a prominent position at Forks Hospital.

Bella and I were thankful for the family's presence. There is an African proverb that says 'it takes a village to raise a child.' Honestly, with Lucien Charles and Alena Rose, it took a coven. Between Bella's schedule and mine – I took on a role as a guest lecturer in Biology at Berkeley and the University of Washington – we needed all the help we could get.

Of course, Rosalie and Esme – once she relocated down to Forks – were thrilled to take on babysitting duties as often as they could. The twins brought a sense of fulfillment to their lives and allowed them both to experience motherhood along with Bella. Of course, caretaking responsibilities were not just female duties in our home. We all took turns watching the kids, often doubling up on child watch.

The kids grew almost exponentially. We'd documented every day since their birth quite carefully, taking photos and uploading them into a digital frame. As the photos flashed by, it was like seeing one of those internet time-lapse morphing videos, their progression evident as if months were going by instead of days.

They started crawling at one month and walking at two. Their minds were active and they started talking at three months. It was babble at first, mostly mama and dada and 'Luc' and 'Lena'… or, as Bella and Emmett nicknamed them – much to my chagrin – Luke and Leia.

At first I tried to nip these nicknames in the bud. "No, no, no! We are NOT calling them that!"

Emmett chuckled. "Edward, I can't believe you didn't realize that we'd naturally think of them that way. Come on! You have The Force, for God's sake and you know that was an instant turn-on for your wife."

Bella piped in, "Besides, Lucien's initial are LCC. I think Luc is a fine derivation."

I picked up my daughter and looked at her. She giggled at me. "Luc" she repeated, pointing at her brother. I sighed. "Luc, I can handle. But you are not Leia, little girl. Okay? You make sure they don't call you that."

"Ahzeeuesh dada…" she babbled.

The twins had talents which became evident before they were able to speak. I'd read that twins often have their own way of communicating, sometimes developing their own language. These two spoke to each other silently – long before they had full speech capacity – projecting images and feelings between them that only Bella and I could see and hear. They could both hear each other's thoughts.

Moreover, one of them could project thoughts to others; Bella had noticed it immediately when she held their fingers soon after their birth and she was shown her own image. Because both the twins were always touching us when we first started noticing it, we couldn't pinpoint which one was doing it. As it turned out, it was Alena and she didn't need to touch someone to do it. As she developed, she preferred communicating this way, despite our encouragement to use her words.

Lucien's talent went unnoticed at first, and we only noticed it because of Alena.

One afternoon after the kids had finished a nice lunch, Alena toddled into the living room with a banana in her hand. Holding it out to me, she projected an image of peeling it for her. "Sweetie, you just ate. I don't want you getting a tummy ache," I said, taking it from her as I sat her on the sofa. I put the banana on the coffee table.

Alena pouted and looked over at her brother who was leaning on Bella's knees where she sat across the room. Luc's head whipped around and he grinned at her. I couldn't believe the exchange I was witnessing. He toddled over to the coffee table, grabbed the banana, and brought it to her.

I took the banana from his hand, put it back on the table and sat him next to his sister on the couch. "Lucien, I know you're trying to help, but I said no, okay?"

They looked at each other. Alena had a scowl on her face. Luc then grabbed her hand. They both giggled as I heard them babbling in their twin language. _Ahzeeuesh, Lena. Ahzeeuesh, Luc._

Suddenly, the banana started inching its way across the coffee-table toward them.

"Whoa," Jasper breathed.

Bella's eyes were sparkling with amusement as she looked at me, a grin on her face. She lifted her shield to speak to me. _Uh, oh. Looks like someone inherited Dad's ability._

_Dad's ability? What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis? You have the same power! Don't blame me for that._

She smirked and then we realized they were looking at the two of us. _I wonder which one it is? Oh, well, I guess it's never too early to start laying down the rules._ She looked at the twins sternly. "Lukey, your father told Le- Alena no. You can't go get things for her because she asks, okay?" She looked over at Alena. "That goes for you too, young lady. When we say no, it means no, you got me?"

The kids frowned and continued to clasp each other's hands as they looked down at their laps, disappointment on both of their faces.

I knelt in front of them. "Kids, did you hear your mother?"

Bella joined me at my side, touching my shoulder. They looked up at me and then at her. "Yes, daddy, we understand," Lucien said. "We'll try, mommy," Alena followed.

We all froze as we registered the children's speaking ability instantly. _Full sentences literally overnight?_ _Holy shit, Edward,_ Emmett thought, as he started to chuckle, _these kids are walking, talking and doing the Jedi thing at four months old._ His booming laugh filled the silence. _I guess you'll be sending them to Harvard next year!_

Lucien's eyes opened wide as he looked from Emmett to me. "Daddy, where is Harvard? Are we going away?" He looked at Alena and I could hear him convey the private conversation he's just 'heard'. Alena's face became concerned.

Emmett, Bella and I looked at each other. _Lucien?_ I thought, as I looked back at him.

He was gazing at me. "Yes daddy?"

_Jesus! I thought secrets were hard to keep before! Shit, no taking the Lord's name in vain in front of the kid. Ah, crap, no swearing either: he can hear me! Damn it! Oh, man, I did it again…_

It turned out that Lucien's mind reading ability was somewhat limited: he could only hear the thoughts of the person he was looking at, which only required slight modifications in family behavior. _Whew!_ The adults were asked to keep their lusty thoughts to themselves, minding when he might be looking at them.

"That's the last thing we need: another horny teenaged vampire when this kid hits puberty in two years," Bella said to me, as she joined me in our bed one night after putting the twins to sleep.

"Oh? And do you have a problem with horny teenaged vampires, Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, as my hands started to wander under her shirt.

As the days wore on, Luc and 'Lena – _okay, I acquiesced only partially_ – tested our boundaries often, seeing how much they could get away with. The good news was that Bella and I were on to them, so they behaved themselves around us. The bad news was that Uncle Emmett daycare wasn't as fortunate. He couldn't read their minds, and they loved getting a rise out of him, so they tag-teamed against him quite often. Sometimes, the little monsters didn't even hide it. One would ask for something he or she couldn't reach and the other would get it for him or her. Once they were fully mobile and running around, Emmett lost the upper hand. He likened babysitting duties to corralling the toddlers in Raising Arizona.

"Dude," he said one day, as we found him collapsed on the sofa after a day of babysitting. "I feel like I just fought three vampires and two irritable grizzlies at one time. Your kids have too much energy. I'm almost feeling _tired_. We need to give them baby valium or something."

After that, we called in reinforcements: Jasper babysat with him, sending out calming, sleepy waves, which made them mellow out instantly when needed.

Our family time was always wonderful. The twins had inherited our affinity for music and they loved to join Bella in her studio where they'd watch her dance and sometimes dance with her. I often joined them and played on the small upright piano we'd added to the room, watching them laugh with delight as they sang and twirled around the room after their mother. Their sweet voices were lovely and we watched with amusement as they'd randomly sing their responses to each other when they were left alone in simple conversation. They even developed a unique habit of talking to us in lyrics when the mood hit them.

(_"So kids, what do you want to do next?" _

_"Sing us a song, you're the piano man," Lucien answered. _

_"Sing us a song, tonight," Alena followed, grinning._

_"Dude, even your kids are stuck in the 70's!" Emmett complained._)

During that first year in Forks, our one major concern – aside from the Prophecy business – was Charlie. We couldn't introduce the twins to him, as they were growing so fast each day. It would be obvious that something was unusual about them and Bella wasn't convinced that Charlie could handle their otherworldly nature… let alone her own. She was saddened by the notion that she had to hide them when he came for a visit. Luckily, Alice often foresaw when he was going to pop by unannounced and two of the family members would take them out to play in the woods around the house when he was around.

But Alice's visions were spotty lately. First, one of the kids was always disappearing from her visions. One day she came running out to meet us while we were playing in the woods, and was shocked to find both kids were standing in front of her. After several occurrences, she threw a mini fit.

"What is up with these kids?" she asked, exasperatedly. "Why does one keep disappearing?"

"I don't know," I said, grabbing them and putting one under each arm. They both started giggling. "They're never out of our sight," I continued.

"Right before I came here, what were they doing?"

Emmett laughed. "Alena thought it would be funny to grab Uncle Emmett's baseball cap and run off with it, but I'm so big, she couldn't reach it. Lucien did it for her, Jedi-style, the little monster."

Alice's eyes narrowed. She looked at them, and gestured at her eyes with her index and middle fingers and back to them, in her DeNiro move. "You're doing something... I'm on to you two." Then she paused and said, "So little cuties, can you try that again? I want to see something."

"But Uncle Emmett won't be surprised!" Luc said.

"It's only fun when you surprise them," Alena agreed.

"Just try again," Alice said softly.

Alena signed and looked over at Lucien. _Pick something, Lukey, _she thought. Lucien nodded. _"Daddy's cap?"_ he responded.

Alena groaned. _You're gonna get us in trouble…_

_Just do it,_ he thought.

_Ahzeeuesh,_ she said, Jedi-snatching it from my head and running off. Emmett ran after her.

Alice suddenly beamed, her pixie grin lighting up her face. "Ah! Got you now!" she said with great satisfaction. We looked at her, waiting for her to share this obvious epiphany, but instead she just laughed and ran off.

Emmett and I could only watch her dust. "That chick is so weird sometimes," he said.

Weird? No. Willing to take any small victory when she could? Yes. One mystery was apparently solved but she was still baffled by her spotty visions. For some reason, we were often caught off-guard when Charlie would just show up at the home with no warning. As soon as we heard the car pulling up the driveway, two of us would take off with the kids while the others would hide their things in their playroom. While we all loved visiting with Charlie, Sue, and Seth, it really unnerved Alice. Moreover, she was quite cranky about it, especially when we kept asking her why it was happening.

"It's not like a cell phone, you know!" she muttered. "I can't just move and find better reception!"

After two months, Seth stopped coming. I have to say, I missed seeing the kid. Kid. He was physically almost my age – 17 – and he had been growing like a weed. Seth's mind was just so honest and kind. We asked Charlie about it, and he seemed agitated.

"The boy is really giving Sue some trouble," he muttered when he came over one day by himself.

"Trouble?" Esme asked. "That can't be: Seth is such a sweet boy!"

Charlie snorted. "That 'sweet' boy spends all his time with this 'gang' over at La Push. Cut his hair really short. Got a weird tattoo. Teenagers," he said shaking his head. He looked at Bella, his eyes softening a little. "So glad you didn't give me any problems when you were his age, Bells. I don't think I could have taken it, considering I was on my own. I'm happy to be there for Sue."

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Alice was able to predict Charlie's visits. And so it was that one afternoon in mid-August when he stopped by with Sue, Esme and I were already out in the woods playing with Lucien and Alena. Esme and Luc took off to a creek to see if there were any guppies for him to catch in a paper cup. I put Alena on my back and ran with her to find some wildflowers in a nearby meadow for her mom.

As I stood there watching my daughter – now physically the size of a four year old – picking various colors of flowers, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I realized I was being watched. Then I heard the thoughts. Snapping my head to the right, I saw a figure on a ridge about 600 meters away. It was an olive-skinned male, with short dark cropped hair. I was a little surprised to realize that I recognized him; it was one of the two vampires who stumbled upon Bella and me at our pond back in 2004. The lecherous one of the two: Felix.

He stood still, staring at me, his face frozen. His thoughts were concise.

_Edward,_ he thought, remembering my name. Then his gaze turned to Alena. _A human child?_

Alena turned around and ran to me. "Daddy, look!" she giggled, her hands full of flowers.

I heard Felix's mental gasp as he saw Alena's face. _That child is HER spitting image._ His next thoughts flowed quickly.

_Mates?_

_Child? _

_Retains her humanity._

_She's here,_ he thought, his mental tone flat and ominous.

Just then a howl came from somewhere to his left. His head whipped in that direction. "Holy shit…" he breathed, and then he took off running.

I followed his previous line of vision and saw it emerge from the woods: A huge animal. A horse-sized wolf.

The wolf snarled in Felix's direction and then looked down from the ridge at me and Alena. I scooped her up into my arms, just as Esme and Lucien came ghosting up to us, Lucien laughing as he hung onto Esme's back.

I put my hand out to Esme to indicate for her to be still. She followed my eyes and we both continued to look at the wolf. I wasn't prepared for what transpired next.

The wolf sat and stared back at the four of us.

_Oh no, more vampires,_ it thought.

I froze. _A wolf that thinks like a human? _

_What. The. Fuck?_

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**A/N2: ****Ruh roh. Felix. And a thinking wolf. Hmmm... (****Are there werewolves in my story?)**

**Yikes! My bad on the last chapter: I forgot my thank yous! Thanks, as always, to Irritable Grizzzly for her beta work. Also forgot to mention my bud MrsEdwardCullenP in the last chapter for her help with the baby names. She helped me narrow down the variety of choices. Thanks Pen!**

**Sorry for the delay in publishing. Real life has caught up to me (RL has actually been a nasty wench lately and I'm not liking her much right now) and then this story is more complicated than the past three. I have to have the next chapter written before I can publish the current. Strategic clue placement - oooh, tricky!  
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******Please review!**


	13. Dying Like the Wolf

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. ****The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by ****Just4ALE. **

_A/N1: Grab a beverage and settle in for this one. Longest chapter yet. I thought about splitting it and then decided not to. They won't all be this long going forward._**  
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Chapter 13: Dying Like the Wolf**

**BPOV**

_What a difference a year makes_, I thought to myself as I drove alone, whipping along the highway towards Sea-Tac in Edward's car.

_Never mind a year, Bella… a few months is more like it._

We were only a few weeks from the twins' first birthday and everyone was so excited for their party. Of course, these weren't ordinary one-year olds. As they approached the end of their first year, the kids were physically around four or five. As far as we could tell, having a part-vampire mother and full vampire father at conception accelerated their development even more than expected. By Carlisle's and Larry's estimates, they'd be fully grown by the time they hit human age four, instead of seven. I was somewhat dreading them hitting puberty, especially in our household.

The whole family living together took a little getting used to on my part. The Cullens, of course, had lived together for so long over the years, that lack of privacy was a given. I, on the other hand, really didn't feel the need to know certain "things" about my family members, nor did I think they needed to know any more than they already did about Edward's and my sex life.

_("Dudes! You guys have a PLAYROOM? Do you use your SAFEWORDS there?" _

"_Uh, Emmett? NOT that kind of playroom… it's for the kids!")_ Thank goodness all of the adults' rooms had extra soundproofing!

Lack of privacy notwithstanding, they were such a big help with the twins. As we obviously couldn't send the kids to school, the family took on the task of home schooling them. Each family member took on a different subject, their advanced coursework designed for their halfling brains and bodies: Esme – grammar, Jasper – history, Carlisle – biology, Edward – languages, Alice – art, Emmett – gym, Rosalie – physics and me - math. Right: not your ordinary pre-schoolers.

Then there was the wolf sighting from last week. As no one but Edward heard its thoughts, we speculated as to whether he'd in fact heard the wolf's mind, or if there was someone else hiding nearby. Not wanting to call him a kook outright, Rose, Jasper and Emmett patrolled our land along with Edward, seeking out any further evidence of this giant wolf with human thoughts. As far as they could deduce, it had run in the direction of La Push. However, they steered clear of the Quileute reservation, as Billy and my dad had had a bit of a falling out/cooling down of their friendship.

One reason was probably Sue – Billy may have been interested in her after her husband Harry died. The other reason might have been me, as Billy had kind of avoided me since I'd moved back to Forks, without explanation. Neither reason, spoken or not, suited Charlie. Meanwhile, I was torn. Given the falling out, I didn't quite know how to handle what was about to happen. I didn't want to unduly influence the situation.

_Time to wing it, Bella. _

I pulled up to the Arrivals area at Sea-Tac, got out and opened the trunk of the Volvo.

"Where's the Mini, Bells?" I turned and saw him staring down at me, a big grin on his face.

"Jake, you're huge, and not a freak contortionist, as far as I remember. Both of you and your bags would never have fit in the Mini Cooper."

He enveloped me in a big hug and moved away so I could greet Tanya.

"Hey woman, how are you?" I asked, hugging her.

"Great, Bella, just great," she said with a big smile.

We put their bags in the trunk and then Jacob jumped into the back seat so Tanya could sit up front. We chatted for a few moments about their trip up before I got into it.

"So, are you excited about meeting your birth father, Jake?"

"A little," he said, sounding a bit nervous as he put his hand on Tanya's shoulder. She reached up to hold his hand as she turned her head to look at him, and then gave it a little squeeze in silent reassurance. "Have you seen him lately?"

"Uh, Billy seems to avoid me. Us. Either he dislikes me, or the Cullens, or both."

"Really? Do you think he suspects what you are?" Tanya asked.

I shrugged. "Could be. I haven't seen him in a while, so I don't really know."

"Damn it, that's not good," Jacob said. I looked at him in the rearview mirror. He was frowning. "I wanted to bring you, Edward and Tanya with me. I was thinking I may need some moral support when I meet him face-to-face."

Tanya twisted in her seat to look at him. "Jacob Black! You're a strong, smart, well-educated man. Billy should be proud to meet you. You'll be intimidating HIM, not the other way around." She paused and smiled. "I'll do whatever you want, baby, but I don't think you _need_ our moral support."

I watched Jacob's eyes soften as he looked at Tanya and registered her words. The anxiety that had been subtly present was dissipating as he smiled warmly at her.

"Boy, Tanya, you're better than Valium," I said, teasing them. "Imagine what effect you have on him when you really pour on the charm."

She smiled at me. "Bella, you know exactly the effect I have on him."

I grinned and winked at her. "I'm so happy that you two found each other," I said in our low tone. "Well matched, well mated."

_Thanks to you and Alice._

"And for that I'm grateful," she answered back in our tone.

"Hey, hey, you two. None of that talking so the human can't hear!" Jacob said, laughing.

We drove along, catching up on life. I told them about the twins and our daily lives and they caught me up on their recent travels and Jake's job. We had passed Port Angeles and were nearing Lake Crescent when something ran out in the middle of the road right in front of the car. Swerving to avoid hitting it, our car was suddenly struck from behind and we started to spin. Looking behind us in the rearview mirror, I saw a large olive-skinned man with dark hair pulled into a pony-tail. As I gained control of the car, another guy who looked like the olive-skinned man, but with shorter hair, was suddenly directly in front of the car. For one fraction of a second, I registered his face but when I went to maneuver around him, he ran forward and punched the hood.

The front of the car just folded like an accordion from his blow, and it skidded backward toward the barrier. The car smashed through it, then rolled down the hill like a snowball, flipping over and over.

"Jesus, Bella! What the hell is happening?" Tanya shouted.

"It was an attack!" I responded.

We came down violently against a tree as we landed upside down in the mangled car. Tanya and I looked at each other and then unbuckled our seatbelts and turned to Jacob. He was bleeding from his temple and was completely battered. He looked horrible, hanging upside in his seat, passed out.

"Oh baby, hold on," she said. "I'll get you out."

Tanya crawled into the back seat as I kicked my door open so that I could exit the car and help get Jacob from the outside. I had ghosted to the other side of the Volvo when I was grabbed and kicked several feet away from the car.

I twisted mid air and landed on my feet, crouching low to see my attackers. One was ripping the back door off on Jacob's side, while the other was slowly coming toward me. I looked at the large short-haired one standing in front of me and realized I knew him.

"You," I said in amazement. "I saw you in San Francisco, at the auditions."

"Yes, sweetheart," he snarled, "but I saw you long before that… back when you were just a snack to your Edward."

I let myself read his thoughts and suddenly I got a glimpse of him and the other one, talking to Edward at the pond. _My God. _They were those two nomadic vampires Edward had to save me from on one of our original dates._ What the hell?_

"Why are you following me?" I growled.

"Felix!" The other one called, "she's not here!" I looked back and saw the other vampire grabbing Jacob out of the car.

"Let go of him, asshole!" Tanya screamed.

Felix continued to circle me, walking slowly so that he could still watch me and face his companion. I picked his name out of Felix's head.

"Who were you expecting to find, Demetri?"

Demetri's head whipped in my direction. Tanya flew at him as he threw Jacob against a nearby tree. Tanya managed to kick Demetri several feet and then spin to check on Jacob. Meanwhile, Demetri rolled out of the fall and made his way toward me.

"How the hell do you know my name? Why can't I track you? I can't latch on to your mind."

"I told you why, you ass. She's the Shri," Felix said, continuing to circle me, waiting for Demetri to come close enough to give them the upper hand. "Where's your kid?" he asked.

"What?"

"We've been waiting to find you for days. We smelled a human with you. I saw your mate with a little girl just a week ago who was the spitting image of you. You bore the abomination, didn't you?"

I crouched down and growled, furious that they'd attacked me to get to Alena.

"Fuck you," I spat, "You know nothing."

Demetri twisted toward me but I could see his attack in his mind and I dropped, rolled and punched upward just as he got to me. Once again, he was flat on his back.

Felix took that opportunity to leap at me, and he landed on my back. I grabbed his arm and flipped him over me. Demetri launched himself at me again, and I sidestepped him, only to land in Felix's arms. He grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, grabbing my hair.

"Where's your fucking kid?"

_Where's Kate when I need her?_ The bastard needed a good taser up his ass for threatening my daughter.

He twisted my arm even further. I'd had it. I bent my knees slightly and leaned back into him. _Thank God I'm flexible. _I then took my right leg and extended it up into a kick that reached above my head. When I'd leaned into him his head was over my shoulder and bore the full brunt of my kick. Stunned, he let go enough for me to spin away from him.

Demetri dove after me at that point. "Where is she? Where is the child?" he snarled.

Before he could reach me, a shape came out of nowhere. Almost a blur as it knocked Demetri away from me, and I instantly breathed his scent and heard his mind. Edward.

"Our daughter is far the hell away from you!" Edward hissed in response.

"Bella!" Tanya screamed.

I glanced over at Tanya who was bent over Jacob's crushed body, her arm dripping blood into his mouth. "Oh no, baby, drink more. Please Jacob. Drink!"

At that moment, Edward's phone started ringing. He ignored it as he fought with Demetri. Meanwhile, Felix came after me again. I didn't have time to dick around with him any longer; I could see that I needed to help Jacob and Tanya. I mentally pushed him, propelling him several feet away, and then I looked at Edward. He and Demetri were moving fast, opposite each other, but it was easy to tell that Edward had him at every move. Felix was clearly going to keep coming. I knew I needed to finish my fight with Felix as I didn't want a two on one against Edward, but I didn't know what to do: I'd never killed a vampire before.

_Edward? Do I…_

_End it, Bella. _He answered back._ Don't hesitate, because he wouldn't,_ he thought, mentally showing me how to kill my opponent._  
_

I nodded and kept Felix pinned with my mind. "What the fuck!?" he yelled in protest when he realized he couldn't move.

I grabbed him by his head and looked him in the eyes. "This is for threatening my kids, shithead. If ANYONE dares to try to harm my family... my children, there will be hell to pay!"

His eyes widened as he registered my words. _CHILDREN??_

That was his last thought before I ripped his head off his body.

"You okay?" I yelled at Edward as I got up and ran toward him.

"Yes, Love, I've got him," he said as he kicked Demetri several feet back in the same direction I was running. "Go help Tanya."

I ghosted to Tanya, who was hovering over Jacob. She looked at me, her eyes wild.

"Bella, he's had some blood but I think it's just barely keeping him alive. It isn't working. I won't be able to heal him at this rate."

Jacob's eyes were glassy and his body was shaking. I could see he had a broken arm and several broken ribs. His head was bleeding and I suspected his internal injuries were worse.

The growling behind me got faster and louder and I looked into their minds watching the last deadly dance unfold. Edward finally pinned Demetri to the car hood and grabbed his head. Demetri laughed and then sneered at Edward.

"What??" Edward snarled, clearly hearing something that disturbed him.

"They know," Demetri chuckled menacingly,"We told them."

"You SON OF A BITCH!" Edward bellowed, as he ripped Demetri's head off. He made quick work of the two bodies and started a fire.

I leaned over Jacob and spoke to him. "Jake. Listen to me. Stay with us! We'll heal you."

"My blood isn't working! Bella…" Tanya gasped. "He's dying." I could see the beginnings of blue tears welling up in her eyes. _Oh God, no._

"Tanya, may I…?"

"Anything! Please, save him," she moaned.

I bit my forearm and dripped the blood into his mouth. "Jacob, honey, please drink. Don't you dare leave Tanya." His eyes were closing. "JACOB. Pay attention! Focus! Drink, Jake. DO IT!"

Edward's phone rang again. "Alice… Yes, I made it in time. Well, I was a bit busy at that moment and couldn't exactly answer the phone. No, she's right here in front of me… What do you mean we disappeared? How the fuck would I know?" He spun around looking at the surroundings. "No, I don't hear anything."

I looked up at him quickly. He was frustrated, his eyes closed, his right hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "What?" His eyes opened slowly. "Jacob is hurt and Tanya's blood won't work. Bella is taking over. The car is totaled. No… no we can run home faster than a car on these roads; we can cut through the woods. We'll carry him home."

My blood dripped down Jacob's throat and slowly his mouth pressed against my forearm as he finally took me in. When I started to see a little color, I pulled away. Jacob's body stopped convulsing and his eyes went blank, but his heartbeat was getting stronger and I knew my blood was working. Edward came to kneel by our side, speaking quietly to Alice, and we watched silently until Jacob blinked and gasped. Tanya reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Thank you," she cried.

~#~

About a half an hour later, we were home and Jacob was resting in a guest room as Carlisle examined him.

"Well, Jacob," he said, "your injuries have healed extraordinarily fast. Looks like you'll be fine. How are you feeling?"

"I have a big headache, but other than that I feel fine."

"When are you supposed to see Billy Black?" Jasper asked.

"Uh, what day is it?"

"It's Friday, Jacob. You landed in Seattle only a few hours ago," Esme said gently.

"Holy shit…" he coughed. Then he blinked and looked at Tanya, "Sunday, right? Sunday at 4pm."

_Edward, could I have a word with you?_ Carlisle thought. They moved to the corner of the room and began speaking quickly in our low tone. "Jacob's healing… was it quicker than usual?"

"I only have Bella as my frame of reference, but yes, it was fast. What's wrong?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure… he seems to be slightly warmer than normal, but I don't think he's running a fever."

"What do you mean I'm warmer than normal?" Jake said.

Everyone froze. They had been speaking in such hushed tones, that human ears shouldn't have picked it up.

_Jacob, can you hear me?_ Edward thought. Jacob continued to stare at the two of them. "Well?" he asked, waiting. "What's wrong with me?"

_Okay, so it isn't mind reading,_ I thought at Edward.

"What Bells?"

I looked at him and then looked away. _Jacob, can you hear ME?_

"Good Lord..." he breathed in amazement.

Oh man, it was bad enough that Lucien could hear us. Now Jacob? I put my shield back in place and thought at him again.

_Jacob, can you hear what I'm thinking now?_

He looked at me blankly.

"Okay," I said in a low tone, "he can hear me if I lift my shield to speak to Edward, but he can't hear me otherwise."

Emmett laughed. "Sex is gonna be really fun for you two with him around – no more Jedi mind talking. You'll have to verbalize like the rest of us."

"Ugh, TMI, Emmett," Jacob said.

Carlisle looked at us all. Moving back over to Jacob, he took a flashlight and reexamined his eyes. "So, Jacob, it looks like you may have enhanced abilities. You can hear us talking in our low tone?"

Jacob nodded, "Evidently, and apparently, I can hear Bella's thoughts… and some other noise like a low buzzing. It's giving me a headache. I think I need a nap or something. Maybe that will help?"

"Sure. We'll get out of your way," Edward said. He looked at Tanya who was clearly going to stay with Jacob. "Just let us know if you need anything," he said as we all exited and made our way downstairs to the living room. Everyone gathered around, except for Rosalie who was in the playroom with the kids.

"So what happened out there?" Jasper asked.

"We were attacked by two nomads," I said. "Felix, the one I killed, had been watching me for a while. First in San Francisco and then here, I guess. He was the one the wolf chased off last week."

Edward nodded and continued. "I read the mind of the one I took care of, Demetri. He had some weird mental ability to track based on latching onto someone's mind. Felix alerted him that Bella and I had mated and he honed in on me from our meeting years ago, but Bella's mental shield protected her. He followed my car. Sensing a human in there with the vampires, they assumed it was Alena and they attacked, trying to kill the Shri and her child."

"Well you took care of them," Esme said, clearly relieved.

Edward shook his head. "The damage is done. Before I killed him, he said, 'They know.'" He paused. "Felix told The Elite at VampCon last week."

"What!?" Jasper exclaimed. "Alice… do you see anything? Any danger?"

Alice sat down on the sofa and put her head in her hands. "I'm blind right now. It's like static. Still, before you disappeared, I sensed nothing. If there is any danger, it wasn't imminent as of his revelation to the vampires."

Blind again._ What's causing this?_

~#~

The next day when Jacob awoke, his headache was worse.

"What does it feel like?" Carlisle asked, feeling around Jacob's head for any sign of head trauma.

"It's like a lot of noise. Voices. I think I can hear everyone's thoughts in the house now, not just Bells."

"What?" I asked. Edward and I looked at each other and then turned back to Jacob. We listened to his thoughts.

"_They have kids! Since when can vampires have babies?" _

"_The kids were human. What do we do?" _

"Jacob," Edward said slowly, "that's not anyone here." He looked at me. "I recognize one of the voices, though. It was that wolf."

Jacob's eyes widened. "I'm hearing animals?"

"Awesome! Maybe Jacob can talk to snakes too!"

"Emmett," Rosalie sighed from the playroom.

"It's so loud," Jacob said, putting his head in his hands.

"Dude, you need Occlumency lessons from Snape. Oh, no, he wasn't a very good teacher…"

Jake's head snapped up and looked at Emmett and then at me. "What the hell is he talking about?"

I shook my head. "Emmett," I said, "Ix-nay on the Harry otter-Pay." I turned back to Jacob and sat next to him. "But Emmett has a good point, Jacob. This is where Edward and I might be able to help. Maybe you can shield a little… or perhaps Edward can help you learn how to tune it out?"

We could still hear the other voices in Jacob's head.

"_I saw them carrying a human. Do you think they're eating him?" _

"_I've never seen them attack anyone. S. says they're decent." _

_Jesus – shut the hell up!_ Jacob thought.

Suddenly, we heard a loud yelp in their thoughts.

"_What the heck was that?" _

"_I don't know. Phase out, now!"_

Jacob's face instantly softened. "Thank God. It's quiet again."

"They were talking about us," Edward said, looking around at everyone. "I'm not sure what this means, but the good news is that whatever link Jacob has to that wolf, it may give us some advance warning if he comes back."

I held my hand out to Jacob. "Come on, let's get you something to eat and then you and I can see if you have any of my shielding ability. What can we get for you?"

Jacob grinned. "I'd love some steak, if you have it. Rare."

Tanya frowned. "Rare, Jacob? You always eat your steaks well-done." She froze.

_Oh my._

Everyone else caught on at the same time. Jacob looked around at the room of vampires staring at him.

"Now what?"

We were all quiet, considering how best to address this. I tried to keep my mind clear so that Jacob didn't find out the wrong way. He looked around at us.

"WHAT? Will someone let me in on the secret?" He pounded his fist down on the marble coffee table…

…which promptly cracked in half.

"Oh, God. What the hell? I'm so sorry." He was mortified and then his face contorted in confusion again.

Tanya sat next to him on the couch and reached for his hand. "Jacob, you're craving bloody meat, your hearing is enhanced and, as you can see, your strength is as well. You drank my blood and Bella's blood…" she said carefully.

His eyes grew wide. "I'm a vampire now?!"

"No, but you have some of our traits."

"At the same time, Jacob, you're able to hear a wolf, and perhaps multiple wolves, talking..." Edward added.

"So, what, I'm part vampire, part wolf?" he asked sarcastically, clearly not believing any of this.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Carlisle spoke.

"We don't know anything for sure yet, Jacob," and then the room was quiet once again.

We were all jolted by a sudden outburst from Emmett. "Oh, MAN, if you ever get angry and change into something, I sure hope you're not all creepy looking like that Michael Corvin dude in Underworld!"

~#~

The next day brought more surprises.

"Holy shit, Charlie is coming up the driveway," Alice said. "Damn these visions!"

_Oh, can this weekend get any better?_

"Rose, Esme, would you grab the twins and take them to play?" I asked. They quickly complied as we readied the house for Charlie.

"Hi Bells," he said, walking up the porch holding his shotgun.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked, opening the screen door to let him in. "What's with the gun?"

He put the gun down on the bench by the front door and then stepped inside and hugged me.

"I just wanted to check in on you. There have been some weird sightings of a large animal, like a bear, but the tracks are more canine. An overgrown wolf perhaps. Have you seen anything?"

"Edward and Esme saw something on the ridge in the woods about a week ago, yes, but we haven't seen anything since. Has anyone been hurt?"

"No, no, but we've been warning hikers."

"Well, it's nice to see you anyway. Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat. I was just about to make Jacob something."

"Jacob? Your old boyfriend?"

Edward growled and the others chuckled. _Edward! Cut that out!  
_

"Jacob, my old friend, yes Dad. He's here with his girlfriend Tanya," I explained as we walked into the kitchen.

"Hi, Chief Swan. Nice to see you again," Tanya said. Jacob stood and shook Charlie's hand. "Chief Swan, it's been a long time."

Jake sat back down and Charlie joined him on one of the stools at the island. Alice pulled up another stool to chat with my Dad. I quickly fixed sandwiches for both of them.

"Oh shit," we heard from outside. "Incoming!" Jasper said in a low tone.

_Bella, Love, Billy Black is pulling up the driveway._

"CHRIST!" Jacob moaned suddenly, holding his head. "They're back. I can hear them."

Charlie looked at Jake and then back at me. "Is he okay?"

"He's been having headaches," I responded.

Edward spoke to us in a low tone from the living room. "Alice, Tanya, Emmett: keep Charlie and Jacob inside. Carlisle, Jasper and I will go meet them."

_I'll join you. You might need my help._

"Dad, I'll be right back. Enjoy your lunch."

I stepped outside as Billy was helped out of his truck by a young man.

"Hi Billy. What brings you here?" I asked.

Billy didn't waste time on pleasantries. "We couldn't wait any longer, Bella. We know what you are and we want you out of Forks."

"What right do you have to demand that?" Edward asked.

"Anything that could endanger the lives of humans, and specifically the lives of the tribe, is our concern."

"How have we endangered anyone? We're civilized. Much of our kind is these days," Jasper responded.

"What do you eat, then?" Billy asked, glaring at us.

"We feed off of animals, as do you, and we have our own blood supply," Carlisle responded calmly.

Billy's eyes narrowed, "Human blood?"

"Of course… but it is donated blood," Edward answered.

"You're misleading the public into giving blood for emergencies, only to take it for food?"

Carlisle spoke. "No. We're not misleading anyone. There are actually humans who know we exist, and they donate. It is a miniscule percentage of the donation population, but it helps. More importantly, however, is the quality of the blood we drink. Blood banks such as the American Red Cross can't accept blood from individuals who have been out of the country for too long or have certain diseases, but they let those individuals donate. We are unaffected by these diseases, so blood that would go to waste instead goes to us."

Billy was quiet, thinking about what to say next. Carlisle continued speaking. "I am a doctor and have been for over 200 years. I value human life; I try to save it every day. I believe we're on the same side, here. Can't we negotiate a peace? A… treaty of some sort? Something that states we promise not to harm your tribe, and humans in general?"

Billy was angry, seeing that he was losing his various arguments. We weren't the threat he perceived us to be. "So you don't bite humans. How do you explain her?" he said pointing at me.

"Billy," I said gently, "I turned willingly. I asked for this."

The boy next to him finally spoke, "Disgusting. Why would you want to be a blood sucker? And what about the human children you have? What do you use them for?"

Edward and I growled before we could stop ourselves. "You leave the kids out of it."

"Did you steal those kids so you could have yourselves a fucked up little family?" He clenched his fists.

My body perceived the threat to my kids and I started to radiate my anger without realizing it, as I stepped closer to them. They felt it immediately.

"Bella!" Edward hissed. "No!"

Just then two snarling wolves ran forward and stopped, flanking Billy and the boy.

"Jasper," Carlisle said calmly, "please help."

Jasper sent tranquil waves around, helping to momentarily lower the tension…

…that is until Charlie stepped outside and cocked his shotgun, aiming it at the wolves.

"Charlie, no…" Carlisle said, "We've got this."

Charlie ignored Carlisle. "Bella! Step away from them. You could get hurt!"

Billy sneered. "Hurt? Your daughter isn't the fragile little thing she appears to be, Charlie."

Charlie was taken aback for a moment. "Billy? You've known Bella her whole life. What's turned you against her? Why do you hate this family?"

"They're monsters. We want them out of Forks," the boy answered.

We heard the porch door slam again, and then a quiet voice. "What do you think you're doing?"

Billy's eyes were wide. "Jacob?" he asked, recognizing him from the photo Jake had sent in their correspondence. "Is that you?"

Jacob said nothing, but instead stared at the wolves. I heard him thinking at them. _I'm waiting on a fucking response from you two. What are you doing?_ His mental tone was furious.

The two wolves yelped. Billy looked at both of them and back at us, confused.

_Can you hear us? _One of the wolves asked.

_Yes,_ Jacob thought.

_Do you know you're surrounded by vampires? _The other asked.

Jacob rolled his eyes. _Of course…_ and then his eyes narrowed. _I'm not going to ask again. What the FUCK do you think you're doing here?_

The wolves both yelped again as if in pain. Billy looked at the two of them with concern and said, "Boys, phase back."

We all watched in quiet awe as the two wolves morphed into human form.

"JESUS!" Charlie shouted, his face in total shock. He took in one of the boys standing there in all of his nakedness. "Seth?"

"Hi Charlie," Seth said with a sheepish – or rather, wolfish – grin.

"I need to sit," Charlie said. _What the hell is going on here?_ he thought.

"Alice, Seth, please help Charlie," Edward requested.

Seth bounded up the stairs grinning at Alice as she helped Charlie onto one of the porch benches. She smiled back.

"Seth, sweetie, do you want me to get you some clothes?"

Billy regained his composure. "Jacob, do you know who the Cullens are? What they are?"

"Yes. Bella has been my friend for eight years…"

Billy cut him off. "She's not…"

"I know what she is, more than you do," Jacob snapped. "They're civilized. They're here to coexist peacefully so that Bella could be near her father. They mean no harm. You will negotiate."

The other wolf-boy, now fully dressed using clothes he'd stored in Billy's truck, leaned over to whisper to Billy. We heard it all, of course.

"We could hear him when we were phased. I think he was the voice we heard the other day. It hurts when he yells at us." Billy looked up at Jacob, clearly considering the meaning.

Edward decided right then that the time for secrets was over. "What do you mean, he's the 'Alpha'?"

Billy's eyes narrowed. "You can hear my mind?" He looked over at Jasper. "And that one can manipulate our emotions? Do you seriously expect us to believe you mean us no harm?"

Jacob snapped. "Why does it hurt them when I yell at them in my thoughts? Why can I hear them? What the hell is an Alpha?"

Billy's mind was blank, clearly not wanting to answer his questions, but the wolf-boy – whose name we'd heard was Paul – didn't block his thoughts. Edward and I looked at each other, shocked. I answered slowly.

"It means that you're the leader of the pack, Jacob. They have to listen to you." I looked back at Billy, who was glaring at me as he realized I could read minds too. "How is that possible? Don't you already have an Alpha?"

"He died," Seth said from the porch. He was now dressed in the clothes Alice had provided.

The other boy, whose name we deduced was Quil, hissed, "Seth!"

"They're gonna figure it out anyway," Seth said. He stepped down from the porch. "He was in the Air Force and was recalled to go back to Iraq. He was killed several months ago."

I could see the image of the man, this Alpha, in Seth's head… and was shocked to realize that I knew him. "Sam…" I choked.

Their questions all came at me at once. "How do you know Sam?" Billy asked. "Minty-kiss Sam?" Edward asked, seeing the images in my head. "No way, you're not talking about that Air Force guy from Jessica's party all those years ago, are you?" Jacob asked, also reading my mind. _Of course they'd both remember THAT guy._

I nodded and looked at the Quileutes. My tone was gentle. "Sam was a good man. I dated him a few times in Boston a long time ago. I'm so sorry for your loss."

They all stared at me in amazement.

Paul then looked at Billy and pointed at Jacob. "Wait, how is HE the Alpha?"

Billy was quiet for a moment before he spoke, "He's my son."

"Christ, Billy."

Paul turned, looking away from us in an attempt to control his anger. He paced for a moment and then stopped and turned to look back at Jacob.

"I felt something else in your mind. You've imprinted. I felt her around you when we were hiding in the woods." He looked at me and then back at Jacob. "You know what she is… AND she's married. How can you still be around her when she's with someone else?"

Emmett and Tanya had joined us all outside at this point.

"Imprinted?" Emmett asked.

"Found a mate," Billy said.

Edward and I could hear Billy's thoughts about 'imprinting.' It wasn't far off from the vampire bonding. Moreover, it exactly described what we'd witnessed in that bar in San Francisco almost a year and a half ago.

I laughed and looked at Jacob. "Jacob didn't imprint on me. He imprinted on her!" I said, pointing at Tanya, who was now at Jacob's side.

Jacob grabbed Tanya's hand and made his way down the stairs with her. He stopped next to us and looked at Billy.

"Billy, meet Tanya, my mate."

The boys and Billy gasped at the same time.

"Mate?" Billy said, incredulously, "But she's a vampire!"

"What!?" Charlie exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "What the hell is going on around here?" he yelled, coming out of his shock.

"Charlie," Alice said gently, "Have a seat."

"Do you want a beer, Charlie?" Emmett asked.

Charlie did a double take at Emmett's offer. "A BEER? No, I don't want a beer! What the hell is wrong with all of you? How can you all be so calm?" He looked around and then his eyes met mine. "I just saw those two turn from wolves to boys and now I'm hearing that there's a _vampire_ here?"

_Bella._

I looked at Alice, who was smiling widely. Apparently, her vision problem was gone.

_Just rip the Band-aid off, Bella. Tell him. He can handle it._

"Alice, are you sure?" Edward asked in our low tone.

She nodded.

I turned and slowly walked back to the porch and stopped about eight feet away from him.

"Um, Dad?" I said carefully, "All of the Cullens are vampires... including me."

We watched as Charlie's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out on the porch.

Thud.

"Dad!" I started to go to him, but Emmett got there before I did. He picked up Charlie and moved to bring him in the house.

"All in all, I think he took that rather well, don't you?" he said. Then he laughed. "I can't WAIT to see what happens when you tell him he's a grandpa!"

* * *

**A/N2: I ask, yet again: PLEASE leave a review!**

**(Thanks for reading! And once again, thank you to IG for her beta work... this was a LONG chapter!)  
**


	14. Always in Motion is the Future

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. Lyrics from Amazing Grace by John Newton. **

**

* * *

Chapter 14: Always in Motion is the Future**

"…I once was lost, but now am found,  
Was blind, but now I see."

*#*

**APOV**

November 2003

It had already snowed around our home in Denali. The entire property was blanketed in white, a light dusting still remaining on the trees where the wind hadn't yet knocked it off the branches onto the ground.

The family members were all engrossed in their various activities. Jasper and Emmett played chess while Rosalie worked in the garage on our cars. Esme was upstairs reading in Carlisle's study while he was at work. I sat at my computer, designing some new winter clothes for Rosalie and Esme as I listened to the wind whipping around outside. For some strange reason, the sound compelled me to leave my sleek and stylish desk chair to look out the large picture window at the snow.

The wind swirled the snow around, white gusts blowing by and causing the trees closest to the house to whip against it. Then the snow disappeared and a variety images started flashing by quickly. A young woman, with pale skin, long brown hair and big brown eyes appeared. She sat on a bench in a gothic lobby. She walked down the street late at night. She practiced karate in a white gi. She danced in a wooden studio.

_Who is this?_ I wondered as the images continued and got even more confusing. She walked on a street in Paris. She looked completely mortified, yet beautiful, standing in a gorgeous blue bikini. Finally, she walked on a dirt road in the winter time, slowing as she encountered a man in a duster coat. She turned her head to look up at her companion… who reached for her hand.

_Edward?_

Then the visions began again. The images flashed from a different vantage point… and Edward was in all of them, looking at her, following her, watching her. His face was… odd. _Was it_ _hunger?_ No, not quite. _What is it then?_

The images flashed once more, but this time, they appeared in reverse order, and in each one, the woman had vanished. She disappeared from the dirt road. Bikini clad woman – gone. Parisian street there but the woman – evaporated. She vanished from every image until I once again saw her walking down the street late at night and Edward was there, following her. This time I was sure the look in his eyes WAS hunger.

_Jeez, this isn't good._

The snowy landscape outside our window reappeared. I reached down, got out my red jeweled cell, and pressed his speed dial number.

He answered after the first ring. "Hello, Alice," he said.

I tried to mask the worry in my voice. "Edward, I just had a vision about you," I said quickly.

"Really? What did you see?" he asked casually.

_God, he's being nonchalant about my vision! How often do I call him about them these days? Uh, RARELY. _

"A girl," I answered, "a human girl." I paused. "Well, not a girl, but a young woman. Brown eyes, brown hair. Edward, she's important." All I heard was silence on his end. I looked at Jasper who had left the chess game to come over and hold my hand. He squeezed it, trying to give me support as he could feel my growing concern.

Edward's silence was telling. "She's there with you now, isn't she?"

"Mmm…" he responded.

I started feeling nervous. If he harmed this girl, everything would go very wrong. I had to say it. "Don't kill her."

That got him. He paused and this time when he spoke, there was less humor in his tone. "Well, that's something to consider."

"I'm not joking, Edward. There's something big with this one. Leave her be tonight and we can talk more about this. Jazz and I can be on the first flight out tomorrow to be with you if you need us."

He was silent again. _What is up with him?_ Jeez, he was driving me crazy. This wasn't just a 'make sure you pick up the dry cleaning/no response necessary' call. "Edward, did you hear me? Pay attention! DO NOT HURT HER."

"Let's see how it goes. I'm sure you'll be the first to know," he responded.

Images flickered again and I started to feel a bit better. "Hmm, looks like the vision is shifting. I think she'll be safe for tonight. Okay, Edward, remember… leave her be."

"Yes, I'll try. Chances are good right now. I'll talk to you later."

As he hung up, the images bombarded my head faster than I'd ever experienced. They were like a pinball bouncing around a machine, each image knocking the previous one out of the way.

The same images appeared with Edward again in each one. Then more: with each flash, I saw more members of our family around her in the oddest places… in San Francisco, Vegas, Italy, France, here in Denali. Then the images expanded to include not just our family, but our friends too… Kate, Eleazar, Maggie, Peter.

Finally there was one last flash: the woman was standing in the middle of a snowy field, once again with Edward at her side, flanked by the entire family and so many more of our friends. Her face was an awesome sight to behold. She no longer looked like the pale young woman sitting on the bench. She looked strong and fearless… and really, really angry.

I couldn't make sense of these visions without context. Only one thing was for certain: this woman, whoever she was, was very, _very_ important.

~#~

September 2009

_Very, very important…_

_Understatement of the decade_, I thought, as looked around the living room at the motley crew assembled there. It was nice feeling normal again – if one could say that psychic abilities were normal. In any case, at least my temporary blindness was gone for the moment.

_Very, very important…_ The statement danced around my brain as I reminisced about that first day of Bella visions. I thought about how all of the images I'd originally seen had indeed transpired but for one: the last one. I never had that one again. As the future is always changing, always in motion, at the time I figured there had been a 'course correction.' However, since Bella started having visions in her dream state and I discovered that her vision of Aro on that dirt road matched mine, I was no longer sure that it wouldn't come to pass.

I had yet to tell anyone about that vision.

I've said it before. Superpowers aren't what they've cracked up to be… they can be a real burden.

I think it was Andie McDowell's character in the movie Sex, Lies and Videotape who asked her psychiatrist how many people he knew who obsessed about how great and wonderful things were: "Maybe they do… but I don't think they're in therapy," she stated.

That sentiment generally summed up my crazy psychic life.

So rarely did images of simple happy times flash in my head on their own. Yes, I could conjure up happy outcomes if I was trying to see the results of different actions, but when one of my trances came upon me unbidden, the visions generally served as a warning.

The images that came to me so often left room for interpretation. I had to rely on my intuition and experience to piece them together and interpret them correctly. Sometimes – actually, quite often lately – I was flying blind. I only knew something had to happen but I didn't know why.

Take Edward and Bella. The fact that she would be in Edward's life was immediately evident as the images flashed by, and I found him swirling around her. His first look of hunger rapidly turned into desire, and eventually, what I came to realize was love. I knew that he would want her like he wanted no other and those first moments were crucial. Had he acted upon his hunger for her blood, he'd have killed the one who was destined to be his mate.

For some reason, I saw Tanya and Jacob together. It was wonderful to see Tanya finally in love. Meanwhile, Bella was so happy for her friend, and when Bella was happy, Edward was happy… although I'm sure there was a small part of him that still wished a piano would fall on Jacob's head because he once tried to steal his girl.

Ultimately, however, my visions were never just about matchmaking. They were about actions and reactions and course corrections. The vision I'd had about Jacob and Bella's future together when Bella and Edward were apart just over four years ago ended so badly, it shook us. That Bella wasn't meant to be with Jacob became obvious. That Bella and Edward had to be together to bring the Prophecy to bear wasn't, but I took action anyway. So why Tanya and Jacob? Well, at the time it made no sense, so I just went with it.

My abilities are not infallible. They have limitations. **I** have limitations. I can't see EVERYTHING. A few years ago, we discovered some holes in my visions which I at last understood: what I didn't know existed, I couldn't see.

They say 'what you don't know won't hurt you.'

_Uh, ignorance is bliss? Screw that old adage._

Ignorance is perilous, particularly where our former danger magnet was concerned. There were many times where I was almost too late to stop my family – and that included Bella – from being hurt.

Take Laurent/Larry, the Parisian half-breed. Who knew halflings existed? None of us had ever encountered one. So when Bella was taken by him in Paris, she disappeared. However, once I was able to peg him as part vampire, I could see him and all halflings.

Up until today, my loss of visions when we first bought the Forks property - which almost led to Edward's destruction and Bella's death when James came after her - had gone unexplained.

When I was back in Denali, and later traveling around with Bella to San Francisco, LA and Montreal, the visions returned and were normal. Imagine my surprise when my visions started faltering again, even before we moved back to Forks. It was a series of black holes piled on top of one another. Of course, no one could have ever imagined a pregnant vampire.

Then we got no advanced warning when Charlie would come over with Sue and Seth, but once Seth stopped coming for a while, all was right with the world.

Until, of course, one of the twins vanished from my visions. It scared the heck out of me at first. Something happened when they used their telekinesis, causing one of them to disappear, and it was never the same twin who vanished. Finally, when I cornered them and made them show me what they were doing, I realized what was going on.

The little monsters were holding back on us! I realized that day that when one used their 'Azseeuesh' – or, in common, not-heard-in-the-womb English, 'As You Wish' – power, one lost the telekinesis and was able to give it to the other, magnifying the intensity. Conjuring up a vision of them as they were doing this, I was able to see a slight halo that would appear around the twin who was wielding the power, indicating that he or she was tapping into the other at the time. Afterward, as long as one twin was 'glowing' in my vision, I knew the other was safe.

I soon realized that I was witnessing only the tip of the iceberg, but I kept this knowledge to myself. I knew this would come in handy at some point and it was better to let it reveal itself as it should.

So just when I thought everything was settling down and getting back to normal, my visions went haywire again a few days ago. _Grrrr!_

Jasper and I were out playing with the twins when a vision swirled around me. I saw Edward's car rolling down a hill. Two vampires had attacked! _But why?_

Jasper registered my worry immediately. "Alice," he soothed, trying to keep his tone generally calm as to not alert the kids, "What's wrong?"

"Jazz, stay here," I whispered and I ran back to the house to tell Bella.

"Bella!" I yelled as I approached the house.

Edward stepped out on the porch. "She's not here; she went to pick up Jacob and Tanya."

He looked at me and registered my concern. He instantly started probing my thoughts. "What was that, Alice? What's wrong?"

I wanted to answer, but too many questions were forming as my mind was trying to connect with more information that wouldn't come. Why didn't she take the Mini? Suddenly the dots connected.

"Oh, God, she used YOUR car!" I looked up at him. "Edward, Bella's going to be attacked by two vampires on her way home!"

"Where? Where!? Show me!" He peered into my thoughts again. "Lake Crescent," we said at the same time.

"That's an hour away by car, but I can cut through the woods." He instantly tried to dial her. "Shit! She's not picking up."

"There's no reception," I answered, trying to conjure up some more information.

"I'm going," he said, as he took off.

"Hurry!" I whispered after him, knowing he heard me.

Within minutes another vision appeared and I could see Edward would get there in time. I calmed down instantly… and then they all disappeared again!

I called Edward's cell. _Damn patchy service!_ I realized he wasn't on the road and his cutting through the woods was leaving us with intermittent connection. I kept dialing, waiting until he reached them. At last he picked up.

"Alice…" It sounded like he was moving around.

He snippily let me know he made it in time. I chastised him about not picking up earlier, but he reminded me that he was a little busy at the time.

I was afraid to ask the question. "What happened to Bella? Is she off somewhere else? She disappeared from my visions… well, actually, you all did…"

"No, she's right here in front of me… What do you mean we disappeared?"

"Edward, what the heck is happening? Something is throwing my visions out of whack again! Do you sense anyone else around you?"

Now he was really losing it. Any threat to his mate, or even the mere insinuation that she might leave his life, and he became volatile. "How the fuck would I know?" he spat. He paused for a moment. "No, I don't hear anything."

I was quiet for a moment. Then I asked what Bella was doing and he told me Jacob was hurt and Tanya's blood wasn't helping, so Bella had taken over.

By that point, Jasper and the twins made it back home. The rest of the family had gathered around. I smiled at Luc and Alena, realizing that Lucien could see what I was thinking. Thankfully, his mom and dad were safe. I could see his worried face ease up.

Edward had mentioned his car was totaled so I asked if he needed us to come get him. He said they could make it home faster on foot, so at that point all we could do was hope for the best as Bella worked on Jacob.

Thankfully, Edward kept our connection open and he gave me a play-by-play of what was happening. When I heard Tanya's relieved voice saying thank you, I knew they were safe.

But then my visions were gone again. I got nothing but static. I tried not to worry too much about it as I watched Bella and Edward coming back from the studio the morning after the attack.

Jacob was still sleeping and to keep the noise to a minimum, they decided to go to the studio and dance. The twins were skipping along ahead of them, giggling and spinning. Luc and Lena loved family time in the studio, and although family time put a damper on the naked dancing Edward and Bella liked to do there, the joy they had spending time with their kids helped make up for the infringement on their sexcapades. It wasn't like they didn't more than make up for it when the kids were asleep.

_Yeesh! If there is one good thing about my faulty visions, at least I get a reprieve from seeing those two go at it…_.

~#~

So here we were, a few hours later, with no more secrets. _Until I discover that invisible six-foot rabbits really do exist, I guess_.

Here in one household was a gathering I never could have predicted:

- A vampire family/coven that housed the most powerful legendary vampire ever;

- Two halfling kids who had special powers;

- Native American boys who turned into werewolves;

- A human male who was technically the leader of a wolfpack… and who also may or may not be part wolf AND part vampire, holding the hand of his beautiful vampire mate;

- A confused tribal elder, father of the aforementioned possible half wolf/half vamp;

- And finally, one very human Chief of Police who had just learned about the existence of all of them, nicely passed out in one of the guest rooms, aided by Carlisle who administered a sedative to keep him down while we figured this out.

_Werewolves. Jeez. Can it get any worse?_ Then I caught the irony of my thoughts. A vampire lamenting the existence of another 'mythical' being.

_Vampires and werewolves and halflings. Oh my._ I could tell it was about to get uglier. I didn't my visions to see the possible outcomes of this little gathering. I didn't bother to conjure up any; I'd just let the visions come as they would. Thankfully, the twins were off in their playroom; Bella wanted to wait until she felt it was really safe for them to be out with our guests.

"If Sam was your Alpha, and he died a few months ago, what have you done since? Who has been leading the pack?" Jacob asked.

"Paul," Seth said. "He was Sam's second in command."

"So, what, you were his… 'Beta'?" Jacob seemed confused about the proper wolf terms.

Paul squared his jaw and folded his arms across his chest. "That's right."

"So now you're my Beta?"

"God, I hope not," Paul responded bitterly, turn away from the crowd to look out the window.

"Paul," Billy barked, "please!"

Paul spun to look at him. "Billy, we don't know for sure that he's the Alpha. He's not even wolf!"

Carlisle spoke quietly. "We don't know for sure that your statement is accurate. I took a few samples of Jacob's blood yesterday after the attack—"

"Attack? What attack?" Quil asked.

"We'll get to that," Jacob said, his eyes flashing at him. Then he shifted his eyes to look back at Carlisle. "And?"

"I don't have anything to compare it to." He looked at the boys and Billy. "It would be helpful if I could take a sample of yours to compare…" he suggested.

The room was silent for a moment and then Seth spoke. "Sure, Carlisle," Seth said. "You can have mine."

Paul stepped forward. "No."

"Aw, come on! I was at Bella's and Edward's wedding. I helped Jasper and Alice find this land and build this place. They've been nothing but good to me and they're almost family. Our lives are clearly intertwined in so many ways… Charlie and my mom. Bella and Jacob. Bella and Sam. I mean, Holy Cow, you know?! I'll bet he finds out we all come from the same father or something!

"Dude! Just like in Underworld 2!" Emmett said.

"Yeah," Seth grinned.

"Fuck," Paul said under his breath as he shook his head. "No," he said again, more forcefully. "As the leader of the pack," he said, "I won't allow it."

Jacob's voice was calm yet cold. "Is it really your choice anymore?" he asked.

The ensuing silence was deafening. The tension was palpable as we stood around in our living room trying to make both heads and tails of the situation. Jasper did his best to keep us calm, but he was just barely managing to contain it. Finally, Emmett turned on the TV.

"Emmett, that's rude," Esme said gently.

"Well, we're all just sitting here, and My Cousin Vinny is on. Maybe something funny can break this freakin' tension," he said.

"Dude, Vinny… I love that movie, man," Quil said, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch from Emmett.

Emmett grinned and looked back up at us. "See! It's working already!"

Joe Pesci and Marissa Tomei had a string of profanities coming out of their mouths. The wolf boys and Emmett were cracking up when Bella growled at them.

"Jeez, Emmett, we have kids in the house. What did I say about what we watch when they're awake?"

"Well it's not like they're not going to pick it up in our thoughts with him around," he chuckled, pointing at Luc who had left the playroom and was watching the scene unfold. Emmett looked mischievously at Bella, obviously conveying a message to her.

Bella looked down at Lucien who was watching the exchange. "Lucien," she said, "Eyemuffs!" He quickly put his hands in front of his eyes.

Bella glared back at Emmett and raised an eyebrow. "I'm telling you Em, if they start talking like this," she said, pointing at the TV, "heads are going to roll." She used her right hand to gesture slicing across her neck. Emmett snorted and turned back to the TV.

I watched as Bella took the Lucien back to the playroom. The courtroom scene was now playing. Vinny was not-so-subtly admonishing the Judge…

"Mrs. Riley… and ONLY Mrs. Riley…"

Suddenly, the room disappeared. The picture was blurry but the words were swirling around. "Heads are going to roll…" "and only Mrs. Riley… Riley…"

Violent images flashed through my mind, faster than I could control them. Bella ripping the head off of Felix, the vampire who attacked her yesterday. "… there will be hell to pay," she spat… A blond young man, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old… A pack of feral vampires. "…heads are going to roll..." Kate grabbing Alena and ghosting with her. Lucien running. Tanya knocked down. Jacob sprinting - almost ghosting - toward her.

"Riley..." I heard Edward say softly to the blond man in my vision.

"Oh no!" I cried, sitting down on a chair. My visions had returned. In full-force.

"Alice!" Jasper and Edward were at my side immediately. Bella peeked out from down the hall. Edward and Bella quickly took in my visions and gasped.

I looked around the room. All eyes were upon me.

"They're coming."

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**A/N2: Ruh, roh. More trouble. Please review!**

**Short chapter. But not gratuitous.**

**Thank you, as always, to my lovely Beta, Irritable Grizzzly.**

_Post A/N: Can anyone cite the title reference? Without Googling or Yahooing it?*winks*_

_Also... who saw New Moon? *Raises both hands to indicate seeing it twice* Holy smokes - Jacob and the wolves, the Volturi scene, the ending. NICE.  
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	15. Jacob Freakin’ Awesome Black

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. Dogs/cats reference courtesy of Ghostbusters.**

_A/N1: I know that many of you hate Jacob in general. I, as you know from my stories, do not. Did I want him with Bella? No. Did/does his friendship with Bella serve a greater purpose? Of course. With that, I present you with MY new and improved Jacob. The chapter title says it all. *winks*  
_

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* * *

Chapter 15: Jacob Freakin' Awesome Black**

**EPOV**

I ran my fingers through my hair as I paced between the dining room and living room. I couldn't believe we were wasting time discussing this when Alice had just revealed her most recent vision.

_Patience, my love._ I turned to see Bella watching me. _I think that this needs to happen. It's called 'bonding.' The human kind._ Then she gave me a small smirk. _Well, human/wolf/vampire kind now, I guess._

"So let me see if I've got this right," Quil began as we gathered around the dining room conference table, "You can see the future, but if there is something, some otherworldly creature you've never heard of influencing or involved in the situation - your power fails?"

Alice grimaced. "Evidently," she said flatly. "Over the past six years, I've had pockets of blindness due to halflings, pregnant vampires, shielding powers and now boys who turn into wolves."

"What kind of superpower is that? You'd better start doing your research or Bigfoot and the unicorns will blind you at the wrong time," Paul said mockingly.

"Your sarcasm is unnecessary," Jasper growled, aggravating the mood in the room.

Bella stepped forward and looked at Paul. "Hey, hey, don't antagonize the wife of the one who's trying to keep us all together here, okay?" she said, touching Jasper's shoulder as she sent calming waves out in his stead.

"It's okay Jazz," she said in a soft voice. He looked up and smiled at her. _Thanks Bella._

"At least 'Dances with Wolves' is on your side," Emmett said from the couch in the living room. He hadn't bothered to come to the table, opting instead to do a puzzle on a small card table with Rosalie and the twins.

"Who?" Esme asked.

Emmett pointed at Jacob who was seated at the table.

Bella and Jacob looked at each other.

"Dances with Wolves! Ha! That's a good one, Emmett!" Bella said, her eyes sparkling.

_If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I guess._

I came over and put my arm around Bella's shoulder. "Well, actually, Love, I think Jacob is technically 'Dances with Wolves' AND 'Sleeps with a Vampire' now," I said gesturing toward Tanya. Our family snickered and giggled.

Jacob smirked. "I'm glad I amuse you…" Tanya put her hand over his and squeezed it. He looked at her and grinned. "Well, if the names fit…"

"Dogs and cats sleeping together…" Paul muttered.

Jacob's head whipped around to glare at Paul. "Shut the hell up!"

"Bella, I think you have your work cut out for you," Emmett called out in a sing-song voice.

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Well, 'befriending the beasts' is going to be a little difficult if the beasts are being PITAs, no?"

"PITAs?" Jacob asked.

"Pains in the asses, dude. I was trying to be polite in front of the kids," he said in a mock stage whisper, his eyes gesturing toward Lucien and Alena. Lucien's eyes were darting between his mother and me, monitoring our reactions as he listened to our thoughts. Alena, on the other hand, was watching our wolf friends.

We all stilled for the moment. I could hear the family's collective thoughts churning over Emmett's statement. "Hot damn, babe, you're right! That has to be what that meant! You're brilliant!" Rose said, leaning over to kiss him.

"That has to be what WHAT meant?" Billy asked.

The family looked around at each other wondering how much to reveal. Finally Carlisle spoke.

"I think Emmett is right. The tribe appears to be connected to the legend somehow, and if Alice is correct, we're going to need their help."

Alice's face went blank. Then she smiled. "Most definitely," she said. "But hold off. You may as well let Charlie in on it at the same time, and he'll be coming to in about 33 minutes.'

"Well, in the meantime, maybe we should put on some Lord of the Rings to prep them, huh Lord Sauron?" Emmett said, grinning at Bella.

Bella's eyes narrowed playfully. "Try 'The Princess Bride'. At least that is suitable for the kids too," she said. "Stick to comedies, funny man. I mean it."

"Anybody want a peanut?" Seth quipped, with a big grin.

~#~

Approximately 31 minutes later, Bella was sitting quietly by her father's side as he came to. Seth and I leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the bed. Charlie sat up and ran a hand over his face. He blinked and took in his surroundings, and then he noticed Bella there and jumped. She winced at his reaction.

Charlie inhaled slowly, held it, and then exhaled. He looked down at his hands. "It's a lot to take in," he said quietly. She nodded.

He looked at me and stared. _Should have shot him back when he left her. Might have prevented all this,_ he thought. Then he looked back at her.

"How long?"

"About four years."

His eyes widened. "Four years! You were… before your wedding?"

She nodded. "It happened right after we learned about this house. He turned me here that very same weekend." Charlie's face started to redden and contort in anger. She looked down at her hands in her lap.

"At my request, Dad. My choice."

He stilled and looked back at me. Then he looked toward the hallway through the bedroom door. _My daughter is a vampire. I'm in a house full of them… are they going to bite me?_

"No," she said.

"No what?" he asked.

"No, I'm not going to bite you. None of us will," she said softly.

"How did…" He paused, his eyes shifting around. His mind, as always, was difficult to read but he was doing a fine imitation of Bella's 'thinking look.' "Vampires can read minds?"

"No, not all of them. Edward can, and I'm able to because of him. Jacob can read my mind now, but he's technically part vampire and part wolf, we think. Lucien also has the ability."

Charlie shook his head. "Lucien?"

"Your grandson, Charlie," I said. "Lucien Charles."

Charlie did a double take. "Grandson? What?! How?!" he exclaimed. His mind started churning through the months, trying to figure out when he might have gone without seeing his daughter for nine months. Then he stopped. "Wait… Lucien _Charles_?" He looked at me and Seth. Seth grinned and nodded.

Bella smiled and held her hand out to him. "Come downstairs. Billy and the boys are still here. We're about to fill them in on what's going on and you should know too."

Charlie recoiled slightly when she reached out to him, and Bella's face contorted in pain. He caught her reaction and sighed.

"Sorry Bells. It was automatic." He shook his head. "It's a lot to take in," he said again. "I just found out I'm related to vampires and werewolves. Please tell me I'm not going to meet Frankenstein somewhere along the line here too."

Seth chuckled and shook his head. "Jeez, Charlie, you're usually more composed than this." Charlie looked at him with a puzzled expression. Seth continued. "It's just another day at the office, okay? We've all been part of your life for over four years. Yesterday you didn't know about any of this but today you do. That is the only thing that changed."

Bella and I looked at each other. _I love this kid,_ she thought.

Charlie considered Seth's words and his body visibly relaxed. Bella held her hand out again.

"Come meet your grandchildren."

"Grandchildren?" He shook his head again. "Another day at the office. Right," he said under his breath. He stood up and took Bella's hand and she led him out of the room.

~#~

Seth and Charlie sat on the sofa, Seth clearly trying to lend all the moral support he could. Charlie's face ran through the gamut of emotions upon seeing the twins. Expecting to see toddlers, he wasn't prepared for the walking, talking halflings sitting there doing puzzles. He looked at Bella, and then at me. "How old are…"

"Their first birthday is in a few weeks… but they're physically about five years old in human years." I said.

Lucien looked at me, seeking permission. I nodded. Alice had me teaching them Italian as one of their first languages. _Si, va avanti, Luc._ He then looked at Alena and conveyed the information to her.

"We're growing fast… Grandpa Charlie." he said quietly, looking at Charlie.

Alena got up and grabbed the digital frame with their photos in it. "See! Mommy says we're growing faster than weeds," she said, looking shyly at Seth before handing the frame to Charlie.

Charlie took the frame from her and looked at the little girl in front of him. _My God. She looks just like Bells at that age._ Then he looked at Lucien. _And he's the spitting image of Edward. Holy smokes._ He looked back at us, his eyes a little glassy. _Grandpa._ Bella and I nodded.

He smiled and patted the seats next to him, and the twins climbed up. Alena took the seat between Charlie and Seth, and Lucien sat on Charlie's other side. Alena looked again at Seth, who smiled sweetly back down at her. Charlie gazed at them both in amazement. Then slowly his expression turned to confusion again.

"But, how?"

Before we could answer, Tanya stepped back into the room, closing her cell phone. "Kate and Garrett will be here tomorrow," she said, and then she looked at Alice. "You didn't see Irina or anyone else?" Alice shook her head. "Okay," Tanya said, moving to sit next to Jacob. She looked around at everyone. "Sorry, please continue."

We all looked at Carlisle. He smiled and stepped forward to face Charlie and the Quileutes.

"Over 600 years ago, four Ancients shared a common vision and put forth a Prophecy. The Prophecy and the legend speak of a female vampire who would one day be born and have a number of powers. In addition, the legend indicates that the female would retain her humanity, befriend the beasts, and conjure electricity and fire, among other things."

"The Prophecy, at least part of it, has come true. Bella is that vampire."

All eyes quickly turned to look at Bella. There was silence for a brief moment, and then Billy spoke.

"How do you know? What is the Prophecy?"

Bella and I looked at Alice. She nodded. _There is no danger in telling them and they must know what they're going to be involved in, Edward._ I nodded back and then recited the Prophecy stanzas.

"Originally, we thought nothing of this in relation to Bella. We tried to deny it; it was too unreal… until Bella turned back into a human and bore our children."

Quil gasped. "They're really yours?" Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "I thought they might have found kids that looked like them," he said, sheepishly.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Turned back to a human? How…"

"My blood is 'different'…" Bella said, her voice trailing off.

I reached for her hand and kissed it. "Bella started manifesting her powers before she was a vampire," I answered. "She was injured a few times – life threatening injuries – and she had to have some of our blood to heal."

"Ew. You were sucking blood before you were a blood sucker?" Paul asked with distain.

"Don't knock it till you try it, Paul," Jacob said coolly. "You might think differently if you're about to die."

Bella's voice was equally cold as she looked at Paul. "My blood absorbed Edward's and Jasper's abilities. It also absorbed human fertility hormones which turned me back into a human for a few weeks…" Her face softened. "…until I had Lucien and Alena," she said, smiling at them as they grinned at her.

Then she looked back at Paul, her voice turning icy again. "So yeah, my blood is different. It absorbs… and apparently, it heals those who have latent wolf genes," she said, nodding toward Jacob, "where other vampire blood does not."

"What?" Billy asked.

"As you might imagine, with a legend being passed only by word of mouth, we have little verification of what may or may not be true." I responded. "We've told you our interpretation, but the last stanzas as we've heard them can be interpreted to indicate darkness for the vampire world. As a result, there are those out there who fear the female – The Shri, as she is known – and would seek to destroy her." I left out the part about destroying the children, with Lucien and Alena listening in; as they had been around Alice when she had the vision and had called me to check in, they were well aware of the events at Lake Crescent. While we'd done our best to assure them and they knew their mom was a powerful vampire, I didn't want to worry them more.

"Yesterday, two nomads attacked my car on the way home from the airport and Jacob was seriously injured. My blood healed him, and now Jacob and I are connected. He can hear my thoughts when I lift my mental shield," Bella said.

_Jesus, this chick has delusions of grandeur,_ Paul thought.

"Listen, mister," Bella said sharply, taking a step toward Paul. "I have telekinesis, mind reading abilities, the power of emotion manipulation and I can absorb powers. Watch yourself."

Bella was slowly radiating anger and it was starting to get to me, as she so rarely got angry these days.

_Shit. Christ Paul, don't do this to me!_

The room stilled as everyone looked between Bella and Paul, wondering what was transpiring.

Seth finally spoke. "Why don't you know more about the Prophecy?" he asked, innocently.

"It was foretold a long time ago…" Esme began gently.

"In a galaxy far, far away," Paul muttered. Suddenly he howled. "OW!" he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, she's got some powers alright," he said.

I looked at Bella who had clearly Jedi slapped him upside his head. She had her arms folded over her chest.

"He's pissing me off," she hissed, glaring at him. _Apparently, he's underestimating the gravity of the situation,_ she thought, looking at me. Then, taking in my expression, she blinked.

"Oh, man," Jasper groaned. _Jesus, Edward, can't you control yourself, you horn-dog? I mean, is now the best time for this?_

Bella looked at Jasper and then back at me, her eyes wide. _What, now? Are you insane?_ She looked at Lucien. "Luc, eyemuffs!" Lucien covered his eyes.

Jacob looked at us both. _What the hell? Bells, wha-?_ He was registering my lust as Bella began to process it mentally. _Oh, do I REALLY need to know about this??_

"Wow." he said, shaking his head.

The rest of the family and visitors in the room looked around at each other, trying to see if anyone else could make sense of the silent conversation they were witnessing. From their standpoint, they only heard:

"OW! …Okay, she's got some powers alright."

"He's pissing me off."

"Oh, man."

"Luc, eyemuffs!"

"Wow…"

The family, of course, was used to this kind of exchange. Charlie and the Quileutes were not.

Emmett glanced around, noting their confusion and sighed. "Welcome to my world," he said.

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"This kind of 'conversation,'" he said, gesturing around toward us, "is just a typical day around here." He turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels. "From what I can tell, Jasper is trying to keep the situation calm. Paul is being a pain in the ass, which is annoying Bella. Bella is getting angry, which turns Edward on. Jasper can't control the tension, anger and lust at the same time. Lucien can hear the thoughts of whoever he looks at, so Bella told him to cover his eyes. Jacob can read Bella's thoughts now, so he's getting a mindful of whatever Edward is thinking about Bella. And if Paul doesn't cut the crap, Edward will go caveman on Bella any second now."

"Emmett!" Bella growled. "My father…" she said in our low tone, gritting her teeth. Now she was seething. _Good Lord! Caveman, alright. I will grab her by the hair, I will take her on the stairs._ I growled back at her. She looked back at me.

"Edward!" she hissed, motioning at her father with her eyes.

Charlie's eyes were wide as he processed this most recent information about his daughter and me. _Just another day at the office. Okaaay._

"Emmett," he said, clearing his throat, "I'll take that beer now. In fact, make it two."

The rest of the family started laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation, partially aided by Jasper, I think. No matter what fueled it, we were grateful for the break in the tension.

Alice got up and quickly returned, carrying Charlie's beers. She handed them to him with a giggle and then looked at Emmett with admiration.

"Damn, Emmett… you're on fire today!"

He chuckled. "I'm not as dumb as I look," he said, putting his hands behind his head and his feet up on the coffee table.

I heard it before he said it.

"No one can be that dumb," Paul muttered in a very low voice that could barely be heard by humans.

The vampires and werewolves in the room, however, all heard it.

Seth groaned. "God, Paul! You're a visitor in this house! Can't you show a little respect and manners?"

_Jesus, this is going to go sideways fast, _I thought, as Emmett uttered a frustrated growl.

_Holy hell,_ Bella thought. She was livid again. _Okay, fuck bonding and fuck the treaty. I'm going to kill him myself._

"Jasper," Carlisle said softly. Jasper stared at Bella, focusing his efforts on only her. _Bella, please. You're radiating and it doesn't help. Think calm soothing katas._

She took a deep breath and started to calm herself. Meanwhile, Jacob jumped to his feet after hearing Bella's last thoughts. "That's it Paul. I've had it. Outside, right now!"

Tanya stood immediately "Jacob! What are you doing?"

"Taking this asshole on. Insulting me is one thing. Insulting my best friend and her family is another. I'm done!"

_But Jacob,_ Bella thought, _he's full-on wolf. We don't know what you are! We don't even know if you can phase!_

_It doesn't matter,_ he thought as he showed us his plan.

Bella and I looked at each other and tried to keep straight faces.

_Told ya he was pretty clever, didn't I?_ she asked me.

_That you did, my Love._

Alice giggled from her corner of the room. The three of us glanced at her. _That'll work,_ she thought.

Jacob smiled, hearing Alice through Bella. Then he turned and made his way out of the house as we all followed.

Alena and Lucien stayed on the porch with Billy, Charlie, Esme and Carlisle, while the rest of us stood on the front lawn.

Paul paced back and forth as Jacob made his way toward him. Then Jacob stopped, planted his feet and looked at Paul. "Come on, Paul. Give it your best shot."

Paul was angry as he suddenly lunged at Jacob. Jacob semi-ghosted out of the way. It was fascinating to see; he wasn't as fast as a vampire but he was faster than an angry werewolf in human form. Paul stumbled when he missed Jacob.

Turning quickly, he lunged again. Jacob once again semi-ghosted out of the way, but stayed close enough to land a quick punch to Paul's midsection. Paul fell back several feet doubled over.

"Damn, Jacob, have you been keeping up with the boxing?" Bella asked.

Tanya grinned. "Yeah, that's why he's so buff." She looked back at Jacob. "You go, baby!" she said in encouragement. Jacob smiled widely, watching Paul the whole time.

Paul was clearly not learning his lesson. He came at Jacob once more. Rather than moving out of the way, Jacob just turned slightly and backhanded Paul in the face. With his enhanced strength, Paul went flying.

"Yep, part vamp, I think," Emmett chuckled. Rosalie nodded. "Definitely."

At this point, Paul lost it. His anger began to overtake him as he started to shake. Quil and Seth ran toward him.

"Paul, no!" Seth shouted.

It was too late. Paul's clothes shredded as he phased. He slowly stalked forward, growling and snapping, his black eyes staring at Jacob.

Seth and Quil phased instantly and crouched low, waiting to see how best to intercede. I could hear them bickering.

_Paul! Stop it now!_ Seth thought.

_Jesus, Paul, he's the Alpha,_ Quil piped in.

_He can't even phase. Let's see the motherfucker take me on in his half vamp form._

Paul snarled and then took a leap over the other two wolves, charging at Jacob.

Jacob stood his ground. He had a small smirk on his face as he cocked his head and held his hand out toward the charging wolf.

_Down boy!_ he commanded.

Paul yelped and dropped instantly from a mid-air pounce, hitting the ground.

_And fucking stay down!_ Jacob thought. The wolf just whined and whimpered on the ground.

_Shut the hell up,_ Jacob commanded, _and phase back now!_

The next thing we knew, Paul was laying naked on the ground, holding his head.

Jacob walked toward him and stood over him with his arms crossed.

"Effective immediately, the tribe will enter a treaty with the Cullens. We will help them protect these kids, the family and this whole town – including the Quileutes – from what is about to happen." He pointed at Paul. "And YOU will not disrespect any of them again. You got it?!"

Quil and Seth, who had phased back and put on new clothes Alice brought out for them, helped Paul to his feet. They handed Paul some clothes as all three nodded. Paul was mentally churning through what had just happened and was begrudgingly realizing a newfound respect for Jacob.

Jacob looked up at the porch and found Billy's gaze. "Am I stuck with him as my Beta?"

Bella and I took in their collective thoughts.

"No," I responded. Billy's eyes flashed toward mine, clearly annoyed that I was listening to their minds. Jacob looked at me and nodded his thanks.

"Good," he said, turning back to the three werewolves. "Seth, you're up, man."

Seth's eyes widened as his face broke into a grin. "What? Really? Hey, wow, I'm honored!"

Jacob reached out to shake Seth's hand and smiled back. Then he turned to look at us. "So, Bells, Edward… How do we fight these 'newborns'?"

"Jasper has the most experience with them," I said. "I suggest he take the lead in guiding us all on this." I looked back at Alice. "How soon and how many?"

Her eyes were blank for a few seconds and then she looked back at me. "About four days. Looks like there are about 25 right now, but by the time they get here, they'll have cut the numbers down to 18-20."

We all looked at Jasper. He nodded. "Okay, three days to train. Eleven vampires on our side – including Kate and Garrett. One half-vamp, half-wolf, and three full wolves," he smiled and nodded again. "Those are good stats for our side."

"Wait," Jacob said, as he turned and walked toward the house. He stopped in front of Billy and his eyes narrowed. Bella and I caught his thoughts and looked at each other in amazement.

_No way…_

"So, how many more do you have hiding back at the rez, _Dad_?"

* * *

**A/N2: Ah, that Jacob has turned out to be quite the guy/vamp-wolf, no? *smiles widely*  
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**Thanks again to the lovely Irritable Grizzzly for her beta work. Thanks as well to Camilla10 for verifying my brief Italian phrase in this chapter. Also, quick shout out to Phantom-Writer 3739 who guessed about the 'befriending the beasts' back in Ch 12... she's a clever one, that Phantom... Finally, gold star to RMS33 for guessing Yoda as the origin of the Ch 14 title - yes, Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back while training Luke (I know. I'm a geek. In case you thought I didn't know that already.)  
**

**Please review!**


	16. Shock and Awe

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. 'Scream' courtesy of Michael and Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.**

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**Chapter 16: Shock and Awe**

_Tired of you tellin'  
the story your way  
it's causin' confusion  
You think it's okay_

_With such confusions, don't it make you wanna scream?_

_*#*  
_

**BPOV**

The next few days were 'interesting', to put it mildly.

Now that there were bigger fish to fry, Charlie and Billy settled their rift so they could lend their support as best as two humans among a pack of vampires and werewolves could.

The good news that with Jacob mated to one of us, we were able to go to La Push if needed. Jacob planned to visit on Tuesday after practice so that he could meet the tribe and coordinate with the elders. The kids immediately announced they wanted to tag along and stay over, much to my father's delight. Lucien and Alena wanted to go to see Grandpa Charlie, who – for safety's sake - was going to be staying with Sue's family for the week. They were also excited to see the wolves' 'den'. Naturally, Jake asked Tanya to go as well, so that the tribe could meet his mate.

It was a wild ride for Jacob. Only a few days before, he had been just your average thirty-year-old man with a vampire girlfriend. Now, with his latent wolf gene triggered by the near-death experience, and Tanya's and my blood in his system, he was the only half vamp/half werewolf, that we knew of. On the plus side for us, his smell wasn't like the other wolves, but rather nicely musky, with a hint of morning dew.

On the downside for him, he was having a hell of a time getting used to his new talents. Hearing his brethren in his head when they were in wolf form was distracting to say the least… particularly when he and Tanya were trying to be intimate.

"Jesus," he said in a low voice, as we sat on the front porch waiting for Kate and Garrett the morning after his Paul smack-down. We watched the twins running around with Esme and Carlisle in the front yard. "Do you have any idea how distracting those voices are in your head when you're trying to… well, you know?"

"Actually, yes, I do know," Edward said flatly, "Welcome to MY world."

"Man, I don't know how you do it. It's bad enough I'm hearing them, but then to experience their collective mental gasp when I-" he stopped abruptly.

"When you what, Jake?" I asked.

He looked around and realized he didn't want the rest of the family in on the conversation. His eyes were big as he began to tell us mentally. _Okay, so about those vampire traits I may have… well, apparently my teeth are a little sharper at times now._

I looked around to make sure that Lucien wasn't in eyeshot of this conversation and then looked at Edward and did a purposeful blink. Edward's mouth began to curve in a small smile. Then I turned back to Jacob. _So, are you saying that you…_

_Bit her? Yes!_ He ran his hand over his face. _That was a freaking shock… to both of us! Did you know that you can sort of read someone's mind at the moment of the bite?_

I raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. _Uh, yes Jake._

_Holy shit!_ He paused, his eyes shining with excitement and amusement, "That's kind of awesome!" he said out loud, his head nodding a little.

_But then I had to listen to them. I mean, they don't really say anything, but I feel it, you know? And some of them are so young! They shouldn't be experiencing any of this x-rated shit at their age._

"Well, you know what Emmett would say, don't you?" Edward asked.

"What?"

"Dude, you're the freaking Alpha! Chain of command!" Edward said, doing a great imitation of his brother. Jacob looked a little puzzled for a moment.

"Try to set up a structure or process with them. They can only hear you when they're in wolf form. So unless we're under attack, they don't need to already be phased. Their – your – instincts are heightened enough that you'll all know the second danger is upon us and they can phase on the fly.

Moreover, Alice's visions are back in full-force. With her advanced warning, my mind reading, and the collective vampire/wolf network with enhanced hearing, communication shouldn't be a problem."

"Seth will be a good Beta," I added. "He'll do his best to make sure that your wishes/commands are fulfilled. Maybe I can work with you to sort of build a mental 'door' that you can put up… and if they want to speak to you during, well, inconvenient moments, Seth will just have to 'knock'." I paused, knowing he'd want this unspoken. _Of course, it takes some real mental Olympics to work the shield when you're in the throes of it… but your mind is part vampire as well, so your mental capacity has expanded._ Yeesh, the family was clearly getting to me if I was getting comfortable discussing Jake's sex life!

Kate and Garrett showed up about an hour later, having taken a one a.m. flight out of Fairbanks just hours after Tanya called yesterday. Luckily, she had alerted them to the Jacob/Quileutes happenings; otherwise they would have been in for quite the shock at seeing the half-naked boys with a bit of a dog smell hanging out around the house.

As soon as they were with us, Jasper led us to a clearing in the back.

In addition to Quil, Paul and Seth, there were another three boys who'd joined us: Jared, Tate and Delsy. Two younger ones, Michael and Ouray, stayed behind at the reservation; we didn't want children involved in this fight. As it was, Delsy was only sixteen, but they couldn't keep him away.

"Okay," Jasper began, "from what Alice has seen, we have a pack of feral vampires heading our way on Thursday. Their leader is a young man with blond hair named Riley. It seems that he created the newborns just for the purpose of coming after the Shri."

"But how do they know where to come? And why would they come now?" Tate asked.

"Riley was acquainted with Felix and Demetri, the two nomads who attacked Bella, Tanya and Jacob. He was expecting to rendezvous with them on Friday after they killed Bella and Alena. Obviously, they never met up, and Riley figured out what that meant. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He's gathered a few nomads and they turned a bunch of humans to create a mini army. He started Friday. By tomorrow, he'll have sufficient numbers to advance on us."

Paul spoke. "Alice said there were twenty-five, but they'd be down to around twenty by the time they made it here. Why is that?"

Esme answered gently. "The first year of being a vampire is very disorienting. If you don't have someone to guide you appropriately as soon as you're turned, as Carlisle did for us, you can instantly become feral."

Carlisle reached for her hand and squeezed it. Then he looked back at the group. "The natural instinct is to feed on the first blood source one can find, rather than learning the civilized way. This lack of civility extends itself to the interactions with other vampires."

Jasper nodded and continued. "Newborns, left unmonitored, will fight amongst themselves and destroy each other. Interestingly, Riley and these other nomads ARE monitoring them, but they're not teaching them the right way to do things. They want them to be feral by the time they get here." He paused, his face contorting in a grimace. "The bad news is that while Riley will have fed them through our blood bank product, the newborns will have killed a few humans on their way here. The good news is that so far, Alice doesn't see anyone in Forks being hurt, since they'll come right here as soon as they hit the town border."

"We're hoping that since Riley and a few of the others are nomads, they might be willing to listen to reason," Carlisle began.

"You want to negotiate with them?" Jared asked.

"We'd like the opportunity to talk with them, yes. They're blindly provoking an attack based on hearsay. They know of only one child, not two. That diversion from the Prophecy in itself may be enough to stop them."

"Is that really likely?" Seth asked quietly.

Alice closed her eyes. "It's a slim chance, but it's still possible. One way or another, the outcome favors our side. The question is how much of a fight there will actually be."

"Which is why we need to prepare," Jasper said. "Newborns are very strong, particularly ones turned by venom, as they still have more of their human blood still in their system. That is their primary advantage. However, they're still kind of getting used to their bodies and they're sort of, well, gangly, like baby deer."

"BABY DEER? You're comparing a feral vampire with sharp teeth and venom to a baby deer?" Paul asked, his eyes wide.

Edward chuckled. "Well, only in how their movements will be somewhat awkward. They're just getting used to the speed at which they can move. They can ghost toward you to appear at your side instantly, but they could overshoot it and land four feet away. So when fighting them, if you keep moving and come at them from the sides, rather than directly at them as they'd be expecting, you'll have the advantage."

Jasper nodded. "Exactly. Your attack must be creative and unexpected. As long as you don't let them get their arms around you so that they can apply their strength, you can beat them. Let's practice."

Jasper paired us up, making sure that we weren't matched with our mates. The boys phased into wolves so that they could hear each other's thoughts and strategize with one another. We had agreed that Jacob would sit out the fight and work "command central", watching from the small cabin near the clearing where the fight was to take place, and mentally communicating with the wolves and me. We had considered taking Alena and Lucien to La Push during the fight, but then worried that their scent might lead the vampires away from us and they'd go straight for the children.

No one wanted to pair up against Kate, so I volunteered, knowing I had the best shot at protecting myself against her taser. After ghosting and swirling around each other for a few minutes, she landed a palm on my shoulder. I could feel the electricity, but it was dull because I mentally shielded myself from it. However, for the purpose of the demonstrations, I pretended to be hurt and dropped to the ground, shaking.

"Bella!" Kate gasped, standing over me. "Are you okay?"

I reached out and touched her ankle, shocking her and sending her to her knees.

The rest of the family members stopped what they were doing to gawk at us, realizing what had happened. Then we heard Garrett's laugh.

"Wow! That's a first." He ghosted to her side, his face a mixture of concern and amusement. "Kate, hon, are you okay?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you just laugh, mister?" she asked, reaching up to grab his forearm. Soon he was down on the ground with the two of us, laughing.

Alena and Luc came running off the rock they'd been watching from to see if I was okay. "Mommy!" Alena cried. "What happened?"

I laughed. "Kate is sort of like an electric eel, 'Lena. If you touch her when she doesn't want you to, she can shock you. I was just pretending that she shocked me, but then I absorbed her power and shocked her back."

The kids looked at each other and grinned. "Awesome!" Lucien exclaimed.

The Quileutes, having phased back and redressed, joined the discussion. They were surprised. "You really didn't feel the shock when she touched you?" Quil asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, my mental shield somewhat protects me. I know she has this power and I mentally prepared for it."

Seth cocked his head. "Like a force field? Is it like Jean Grey in X2 where she projects the force field outward and blocks the water so that the plane can get away?"

I chuckled. "Not quite. It is purely mental. Note that Kate _can_ touch me; it is just that I've mentally blocked the pain. Sort of like how I can block Edward and Jacob from reading my mind if I want to."

"Bella is likely to be immune from mental attacks," Edward said, extending a hand to me to help me up. "Demetri couldn't track her. I can't hear her most of the time unless she lets me. Eleazar couldn't figure out her talents because of her mental shield."

"Well how about that? Can you project your mental shield and block everyone from mental attack?" Paul asked.

Jacob stepped up into the discussion. "Where are you guys going with this?"

"Well, we were wondering…" Quil began, "if Bella has all of these powers, why can't she fight them all herself? Not that we'd ask you to do that, Bella, but if you needed to, could you?"

Edward growled and pulled me closer to his side. "There should be no need for her to fight alone when we're here to support her!"

I looked at the twins, whose eyes went big at the suggestion that I'd be alone in a fight. Smiling at them and then at Edward, I said, "No, my love, it's a good question." I looked back at the wolves. "I can do several things at once with my powers. I can use my telekinesis and lift my shield. Separately, I can absorb emotions and deflect and radiate them. I can absorb powers temporarily and project them. However, I've never tried to do more than that at one time. To set up a mental shield that would protect everyone… well, the thought hadn't occurred to me and moreover, I'm not sure I CAN do that. Shielding everyone AND using my telekinesis at the same time to fight them on my own?" I shook my head. "I'd need a lot more practice to do that… more than three days' worth, that's for sure."

_Fight them all on my own. Wow. That would be kind of awesome if I could do it, though. What a thought!_

Edward's hand tensed on my hip. _No Bella! We're all in this together. The Prophecy involves us all._

I looked at him and nodded. Then Emmett came behind me, oblivious to our little exchange, and clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Right. So unless Bad-Ass Bella decides to pull a Jean Grey and knock them all out by evaporating them into ashes, we need to get back to practicing."

We continued on for several hours, switching partners so that we could get used to different fighting styles. Jasper maintained the rule of no spousal pairings, primarily for his own sake. We didn't need this to all go sideways if/when one or both got turned on from the wrestling… and he certainly wouldn't be able to control the big lustfest. Plus, of course, there would be the instinct to take it easy and protect the other person. It wasn't in our nature to try to hurt each other.

As Edward prepared the twins' dinner that evening, I watched the family scattered throughout the house, going about their usual activities. Despite the fact that we'd spent the day preparing, they were relatively relaxed.

Yet I felt… off. I was on edge and I quickly realized that one of my 'feelings of impending doom' was starting. In the past, when I'd had these feelings, nothing had happened, but the last time I felt this way, I'd been staked, and now I had a hell of a lot more to worry about.

Suddenly, Jasper was standing by my side. _Bella, what's wrong? You're worried._

I gave him a small smile. "Sorry, Jazz. Was I radiating? Am I affecting everyone?" I asked quietly, looking around the room.

"No, but why are you feeling like this? Alice has seen the win, one way or another."

I shrugged. "I don't know. I- I just have a bad feeling about something," I said, moving to sit on the couch. I ran my hands through my hair. "The last time I felt this way, James came to town."

Edward came from the kitchen to sit by my side. "And look how that turned out. We took care of him," he said gently, but with pain in his eyes as he remembered the event.

"No worries, Mommy," Lucien said, walking toward me, "Love only."

I looked at him, my face likely registering my confusion. "What's that, my angel?"

"All you need is love," Alena said, grinning. "Love is all you need," Lucien finished. They jumped on my lap to hug me. The next thing I knew we were in a big Cullen pile, the two of them and Edward all tangled up together on top of me.

I smiled. _Love only. Yes, my babies._

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice said softly. I peeked around Alena's head and saw her looking at me from her desk. "Everyone makes it out of this okay." I nodded back at her.

Edward looked at the kids who were wriggling and tickling each other and us, and then met my eyes, his lips rapidly forming a wicked grin. _I'll help you relieve some of that tension after we put them to bed. All you need is love, sweetness, _he thought as he winked at me._ Love only._

That night he showed me just how love only could help.

~#~

We spent several long hours on Tuesday practicing and preparing again, this time pairing up two and three against one, to show the wolves how to anticipate and avoid being cornered. The boys, particularly the younger ones, loved it. Jasper, ever our military and strategic planner, was a little worried at first, thinking that they could use this against us, but Jacob kept them in line, effectively preventing any errant thoughts. Even Paul seemed to have changed his attitude.

We broke at lunch so that Esme could fix the kids, Jacob and the boys some lunch. The boys were moaning with happiness at how good Esme's food was, all of them secretly wondering how it was that someone who didn't eat human food could cook so well. She, in turn, was thrilled to be mother to a full litter of pups now, in addition to her other kids and grandkids.

We spent the rest of the afternoon ghosting around the wolves, letting them get acclimated to our movements. Eventually they were ready to participate themselves just a bit, keeping their reactions to us light and 'playful,' but testing how hard they could push. Jacob watched carefully, making sure nothing got out of hand with his pack.

At five p.m., Jacob called it a day. "Okay, I think we'll head over to La Push now. Sue and Charlie invited us to join them with the kids for dinner. Billy is going over too." He looked at the wolfpack. "Are you guys ready to head back?" The boys nodded and waved goodbye to us for the night as they gathered their things and started heading for their cars. Alena and Lucien kissed us goodbye and then followed the wolves, Jake and Tanya.

Alena ran up to Seth, tugged at his shorts and asked, "Will you give me another wolfy-back ride, Mr. Seth?"

"It's just Seth, Alena." Seth smiled at her and knelt down so that she could climb on his back. Delsy knelt down to give Lucien a ride as well. As they made their way to Seth's truck, we heard Alena's light little voice giggling.

"Thank you for the ride Mister-, uh Seth. I want you to know that you can always give me wolfy-back rides… even when I'm big and we're married."

Seth chuckled. "Oh, are we getting married, Alena?" he said, putting her in the car.

"Of course!" she said, smiling at him, "But only when I'm old enough."

Edward and I looked at each other, our eyes wide. I blinked at him and then groaned. "I don't EVEN want to think about it," I said. "You don't think he…"

"No, Love, he hasn't imprinted on her. He's just humoring a little girl with a crush."

Then we heard Alice's giggle. We looked back at her. "That's true. However..." she said, pointing in the direction of the cars that were driving out of sight, "it IS possible."

Emmett laughed and shook his head. "Holy shit, this is turning into one crazy-ass extended family!"

We all walked back toward the house, Edward and I bringing up the rear. Edward decided to change the subject away from our possible foray into in-law-hood, so he put his arm around my shoulder, put his mouth to my ear and nibbled on it. "I have to admit that it's kind of a turn-on to see you fight, Bella," he whispered, huskily.

"Everything is a turn-on to you, Mister," I teased, "But why would my fighting, in particular, turn you on?"

"You're so elegant and graceful. Even when you're fighting, it's like a dance."

I grinned at him. "Not bad for a mother of two, huh?"

"Sweetness, you're one hot mama," he said, slapping my butt.

~#~#~

It felt like a jolt of electricity went through me. Suddenly, my body was on fire, every nerve standing on end, every cell singing. _What the hell?_

Jasper, who was almost at the door, whirled around in his spot. "Oh, no. Watch out everyone! Incoming!"

Everyone froze and then let out a collective moan as I radiated a surge of desire in all directions.

Edward's eyes met mine and he blinked. "Bella, Love," he exhaled, as I radiated lust at him, "wha-? Oh, God… Really?"

The family pulled a disappearing act as they ghosted toward their respective rooms to continue what I'd ignited. I heard Rosalie gasp as their bedroom door slammed, "Oh boy, he found her trigger word."

I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he started grinning and backing away from me. _Bring it on, hot mama._

_Holy shit, I have a trigger word... or rather, trigger phrase!_ I growled at him, and then somehow found the mental strength to remember to say one thing to him as I walked toward him slowly.

"As you wish, _Dude_."

We barely made it to the studio.

I don't think there was one moment the entire night where some part of him wasn't inside some part of me.

Then we barely peeled ourselves off of each other in time to leave the studio and greet the kids when my father brought them back the next morning.

Trigger words.

MUCH better than a punching bag and a Pissed Off playlist for stress relief.

~#~

Wednesday was an abbreviated session, spent mainly on strategy and planning with the wolves. Several of us spent a lot of time ghosting back and forth to the appointed clearing, making sure it would be clear that a number of vampires had left the house to head in that direction. Meanwhile, Jasper coordinated the attack with the wolves; they were to stay hidden until needed, and at least one had to guard the cabin at all times. We were still hoping that diplomacy might work.

On Thursday morning, we headed to the area where Felix had first found Edward and Alena. The fog was lifting as the sun rose. I closed my eyes, trying to think calming kata thoughts and dampen that small nagging doomed feeling that was lurking beneath the surface. Unfortunately, I was wired again and there was a part of me that felt like shouting out in frustration that I'd brought this on to my family.

"No, Bella, it's not your fault," Edward said, knowing what I was thinking. "We're in this together, Love, remember?" he said, caressing my cheek. Just then his head snapped up and he looked to the West. "They're here."

We could see them ghosting toward us. I opened my mind to hear their jumbled thoughts. The newborns were distracted. The nomads were not. As they approached, Carlisle put up his hand to greet them. They slowed down and looked at our group with curiosity. Riley stepped forward and cocked his head.

"Such civility is odd. Why do you welcome us when you must know what we came to do?"

"We believe you are operating based on false information and we hoped to speak with you to clarify what has happened," Carlisle responded.

"Okay," Riley said, cautiously, "Proceed."

"You are here because of the legend, correct? You know the whole Prophecy?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't waste time rehashing it, so hear this: the last stanzas refer to a daughter or son, the one child. My son and daughter-in-law have both a daughter AND son. Bella," Carlisle said, gesturing to me, "had twins about a year ago."

There were murmurs among the nomads as their minds churned through the possibilities. Another vampire spoke. "So the last stanza is tainted; maybe one of the children is evil. Either way, it is clear she's fulfilled the legends. She had to retain her humanity to have the children."

My mind was rapidly shattering. They weren't going to listen. A desire to scream was lurking below the surface and I pushed it back so I wouldn't aggravate the situation. I stepped forward to speak. They all took a step back.

"Please, just turn around and go," I said, gently, pleading with them. "Don't you see what you're doing? You're causing the very problem you're trying to prevent!"

Their faces were suddenly puzzled. A small dark-haired female spoke. "What do you mean?"

"I'm innocuous! We all are. We live our daily lives with no wishes to harm anyone, yet you come to attack me and my children. I'm not some all-powerful vampire. I'm a mother who loves her husband and kids. This is my _family_, not my coven." I said, gesturing at the Cullens and Kate, Garrett and Tanya. "Anyone who has been provoked as I have would do as I have and will – put my life in front of theirs to defend them… and take you down, if need be."

I could sense Riley and the other nomads considering this. Their thoughts were swirling around the Prophecy and how already it was wrong.

_ONE child to rule them all._

_Impossibility, daughter OR son?_

Edward nodded at them. "Yes, you see how the legend is incorrect?"

For a brief moment, I thought we'd make it out of this with no bloodshed. Then one of the very impatient newborns made a crucial move. He dove after the family member who was closest to him, trying to take advantage of our distraction.

Unfortunately, that family member was Tanya.

Tanya flew back several yards with the hit. She spun midair and landed on her feet, crouching and growling at the newborn. She was fine.

Still, the mere attack on her was enough. At the moment she was hit, Jacob shouted out from his position at the cabin.

"Tanya!"

That yell, coupled with a cacophony of snarling wolves that suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the clearing, stopped everyone in their tracks for a brief moment.

Riley spun to look at me. "Innocuous, huh?" he spat. "The Shri 'befriends the beasts'." His eyes narrowed. "You're creating your own forces!"

"They wouldn't be here if Demetri and Felix hadn't attacked us!" I snarled back. "YOU brought them here!"

Edward and Jasper stepped up, and Jasper tried to calm me. Edward put his hand in mine. "Riley, please. There is no need for this to escalate. It is a big misunderstanding. Walk away now before you all lose," he said. His tone was calm, but threatening.

The newborn that attacked Tanya turned and ghosted toward Seth. He started to pounce and Seth moved out of the way, snarling. The two engaged in a deadly dance around each other, with Seth following our instructions to move and weave in unexpected ways.

Emmett groaned. "What kind of morons did you bite to create this newborn army? Don't they know not to provoke a wolf attack?"

The feral vampires started snarling and crouching low, pivoting around to look at the broader opposition. Suddenly, we heard a yelp. Seth had sustained a small bite. He was limping slightly, causing the newborn that attacked him to laugh. His laugh died instantly as Seth lunged for him and ripped off his head.

Alena saw a wounded Seth and screamed. "Mr. Seth! Mommy!"

Our opponents stopped and looked at the kids, who were standing with Jacob at the cabin door, and then at their dead comrade.

All hell broke loose instantly. Our opponents came at us as the battle began. While the vampires ghosted toward and around each other, I felt as if it were happening in slow motion.

Seth ran toward the cabin to get into position, letting Delsy get into the battle. Seth was whining as the venom finally hit.

_Jacob! _I thought. _Suck out the venom! Like a snake bite!_

Jacob nodded. "Phase back, Seth," he said. Once Seth was in human form, he knelt down and got working on Seth's calf, taking out the poison.

Alena came running out of the cabin, dashing toward Seth and Jacob. As I kicked back an opponent, I saw one of the nomads ghosting toward her. I mentally pushed him back several feet and yelled out. "Alena, get back!" I looked around for who was closest.

"Kate!"

Kate nodded and ghosted toward her. The nomad was up again, going after Alena, but Edward got there and knocked him out of the way. Kate scooped up Alena and ran with her away from the cabin.

Our family was gaining ground in the battle, having put down several of the newborns already. I kept trying to get free to help Jacob and Seth and get Alena, but as I was their primary target, I was constantly engaged in a fight.

I heard two of our opponents deciding to go after Lucien while Jacob and Seth were occupied on the ground. Edward heard it too.

"Lucien!" he yelled, as he circled around his opponent, trying to get free. Lucien looked at Edward, heard the warning and then looked at the two vampires who were advancing toward the cabin. Edward mentally pushed them back, stalling them.

Lucien ran from the cabin to Jacob's and Seth's side and watched the two vampires get up and start at him again. Since he could read their minds, they were telegraphing their moves, unbeknownst to them.

Suddenly, Alice yelled out, "Yes Luc! Do it!"

The remaining nomads looked around to see what was happening, keeping their focus on their respective fights.

Lucien looked at Alice and grinned. Then he looked back at Alena in Kate's arms, who in turn met his gaze. Nodding at each other, I heard his small voice.

"As you wish, Alena."

He ran toward the two vampires, meeting them before they got to Jacob and Seth. Dodging their grasp, he touched them both.

Suddenly they were down on the ground, shaking violently. Tased by Kate's power, which Alena had absorbed and then transferred over to him.

There was a small collective gasp of awe as the crowd took in what had just happened. Meanwhile, Jacob leapt up and grabbed Lucien, semi-ghosting him back to the cabin. Seth quickly phased and pounced on the two shocked vampires on the ground.

Esme grabbed Alena from Kate and ghosted her back to the porch so Kate could join in against the vampire fighting Garrett. Jacob saw Tanya knocked again and semi-ghosted to her.

"Jacob, stay back – I'm fine!" she yelled, as she took down her opponent before he could turn on her mate.

Finally, it was down to Riley and me. He could see this battle was lost, and yet he refused to back down.

"Your fucking kids have powers too!" he snarled.

I crouched low, circling him. "And they wouldn't need to use them if you weren't here! Give it up and leave us alone!"

He laughed. "We're just going to keep coming. You can't kill us all!"

"Oh my God!" Alice cried, her eyes large. Then her vision flashed in my mind.

I couldn't control it. I was livid. I stood still, my eyes boring into his. "Think again, shithead!" I screamed.

Riley screamed as well, as my anger radiated from me, hitting him like daggers. "If they come after me and my family, heads will roll," I hissed. "just like this…"

I stepped back and watched his head drop off his body as I mentally sliced it off. Then he burst into flames.

I was shaking as I dropped to my knees. "Bella," Edward said gently, walking carefully toward me. "Jasper, please help."

I felt the calm waves trying to envelop me. I could hear Edward's thoughts trying to talk me down from the ledge. I felt his love. I tried to think calm thoughts, but Alice's vision was still in my head. I looked at her and nodded. My feeling of impending doom was spot on.

Edward knelt in front of me, taking my hands. He squeezed them and I sighed, "Tell them, Alice."

"They're coming," she said in a shaky voice.

Quil stepped forward and looked around at everyone. "Didn't she just say that a few days ago?"

No one said a word for a few moments, and then Rosalie asked a question, already suspecting the answer.

"Who's coming, Alice?"

"All of them," she whispered.

* * *

**A/N: ****I can't absorb your powers. **

**And I can't read your minds. **

**Please leave a review! **

**Thanks again to Irritable Grizzzly for her beta-ness.**


	17. Seriously Houston: Big EFing Problem

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. '24' lyrics by Jem.**

**

* * *

Chapter 17: Seriously Houston, We Have a Big Fucking Problem**

**EPOV**

To tell you the truth, it wasn't Alice's vision that was the major surprise.

It was the glimmer of the thought that appeared right after it. Like an echo of the vision.

A memory.

_She's seen this before. _

_Shit._

I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands.

_I know, Edward, _Alice thought. _I'm sorry._

"How long have you known about this?" I asked.

My head snapped up as I heard her thoughts before she spoke the answer out loud. She sat in the oversized chair directly across from me, watching me carefully.

"I had this vision only once and never again. The night you met Bella."

Bella moved to sit next to her. "That was almost six years ago," she whispered.

"I know," Alice said sadly. "It was just a quick image."

"Will someone please fill us in on what she saw?" Rosalie asked.

Suddenly the room stilled as we heard a car pulling up the driveway.

"Hold off on that for one moment, please," I said, "Charlie has arrived."

The twins' eyes were wide as they looked at their mother and me. "Non voglio andare," Alena whispered.

"I know you don't want to go, sweetheart, but we're going to be up very late talking about adult things. I want you someplace where you can play and eat and sleep without us disturbing you," I said softly.

"But maybe we could help too!" Lucien pleaded.

Bella kneeled in front of him and grabbed his backback with his overnight things. She put it on him and then did the same for Alena. She touched both of their faces.

"I know, Luc. You two were such a big help today in the battle. Let the adults talk tonight. I'm sure you'll be able to help over the next few days."

Bella opened the door and we stepped out to greet him. "I got here as fast as I could, Bells," Charlie said. He looked at her expression, then at mine, and his face instantly registered concern. "More trouble?" he asked in a low tense voice.

"We don't know yet, Dad," she said, glancing down at the kids quickly and then meeting her father's eyes again. "We just need to discuss some things. Thanks for taking them," she said as she stepped in to hug him tightly.

Charlie's eyes were wide as he began to register the depth of her nervousness. He hugged her back and then let go, nodding his understanding of maintaining a calm demeanor and then smiled at his grandchildren. "Are you kidding? I love having them over. Sue is already trying to figure out what to prepare for you tonight!"

The kids smiled back, gave us both hugs and kisses, and then they grabbed Charlie's hands. Charlie looked up at us. "They can fill you in a little on what happened today, if you'd like," I said. Then I looked at the kids. "Andateci piano, d'accordo?"

Bella continued in the low tone. "That's right, go easy on him. He's human. He scares easily and I don't want him having a heart attack."

They nodded and then pulled their grandfather off the porch to leave. I reached for Bella's hand as we watched them drive off. We looked at each other and then silently went back into the house.

The murmur of voices ceased as we stepped into the living room. Then Carlisle spoke.

"Alice. You were about to tell us about your vision?"

Alice closed her eyes. "Bella is flanked by the family in the middle of a snowy field. A lot of our friends are around her and behind her. Well, actually, it seems like all of them are. Maggie, Peter, Benjamin, Kate. They're all there. Bella is really angry."

"Snow?" Esme asked. "It's September. When does this happen? And where? Do we leave Forks?"

"No, Jacob is in the vision. As is Seth, and Paul. All of you," she said, looking at the boys. Then she looked at me. "You see? This vision isn't the same as the original. They weren't in that one, but they are now."

"But couldn't we be wherever you are? How does our presence influence the location?" Paul asked.

Jasper answered, "You'd never leave your families at La Push unprotected like that, but you'd want to be with the Alpha, and knowing THIS Alpha," he said, nodding his head at Jacob with a gentle smile, "he would clearly be there to help both his best friend and his mate."

Alice nodded and continued the thought. "Everybody is linked. Kate has always been in the vision. If Kate is there, Garrett will be there. Moreover, Kate and Tanya are 'sisters.' Tanya would be on hand to help Kate."

Tanya said, "We know that Carlisle and his family would help us – and have helped us – whenever needed. We'll always do the same."

Jasper continued, "Given their bond, there is no way Jacob would let Tanya go without support. Moreover, there is no way you'd let your Alpha go into battle – one that wasn't in the Middle East that is – when you could help him." He looked around the room and finally his eyes met mine. "She's right. The confrontation must happen here."

Alice spoke again. "As best I can see, it appears that we're outside of Forks. There will be a fluke snowstorm on November 5th. It will shut down the city, since we rarely get that amount of snow. The vision indicates the event will take place… on November 6th."

There was a collective gasp among the vampires. Bella and I looked at each other and then she was in my arms as I pulled her close to me and hugged her tightly. The wolfpack looked at us. "Does that date have significance or something?" Jared asked.

It was silent as all eyes turned to us. "It is the day we met," I said, kissing Bella's hair. "And the day that we eloped."

Bella started shaking in my arms. I could feel her anger beginning again. Everyone in the room started getting agitated. I hugged her even more tightly.

"No, Bella, no, no, no. Please. Calm down. You're affecting me and everyone else." I looked at Jasper. "Please help."

Jasper's eyes were sad as he sent calming waves toward her. She stilled and pulled away from me, then moved over to the window and looked out, with her back to all of us. She spoke silently to me.

_Four years of marriage. Six years in total? Is that all I get with you? What the hell happened to forever?_

I shook my head. "This is far from over, Bella. Don't jump to any conclusions yet."

She turned and met my gaze. She closed her eyes and worked to calm herself down. After a long moment, she opened her eyes again.

"I'm okay, Jasper. Thank you."

Tate spoke up. "What happened out there today? At the end? Riley said something, then Alice cried out and the next thing you know the guy's head was on the ground and he burst into flames!"

"Alice had another vision at that moment: this vision. When I saw what she was seeing, that he was right, I lost control. I mentally imagined slicing off his head and burning the body… and then it happened." She looked around at everyone. "I didn't expect that... and I'm sorry."

"Holy shit," Quil said, completely astounded. The wolfpack looked at Bella with respect… and a little bit of fear.

"Is that what triggered the vision?" Emmett asked. "Riley's death?"

Before Alice could answer, Paul sat up and said, "Wait. Maybe I'm not clear on how your visions work. You saw a good outcome for the battle. Didn't you see that if we put Riley down, there would be consequences? I mean, could we have prevented this if we'd kept him alive?" He looked around at everyone and then back at Alice. "Please don't think I'm accusing you of anything; I'm just trying to understand."

"There are two separate issues in your question," I began. "One: why didn't Alice see what would happen next? Two: should Bella have controlled herself?"

I had wondered the same thing, but I had seen Alice churning through the possible outcomes, and I knew that this was the only path.

"I can't speak to the former, but I can say this: At the time, the alternative would have been worse. We had just beaten his mini army. Had we left him alive, he would have gone and immediately told others about the twins' powers, Bella's powers and your involvement."

Alice nodded. "They would have been here in two to three weeks with reinforcements. We would have been completely outnumbered… and annihilated."

"What if we had separated?" Rosalie asked. "I know that hindsight is twenty-twenty, but maybe we can learn from what happened there and apply it to this next situation. What if we had just broken up the family and ran our separate ways for a while?"

Esme gasped and shook her head. "Broken up the family?" she whispered. "No…"

Bella wrapped her arms around her torso. Looking down at the floor, she said, "They would have followed the wolves' scent into Forks and then to La Push. They would have killed the tribe… as well as my father and a number of the town's residents."

Jasper nodded. "So killing Riley was the best alternative, given his unwillingness to believe that she – we – meant no harm. As it is, we'll have a few more weeks to prepare."

"But what about the first issue? Why didn't Alice see this next situation was a possibility?" Jacob asked.

Alice sighed. "All visions are based on the decisions made by those involved. Think of it as a pinball machine. The ball comes out of the chute and then starts in one direction until it hits a wall that pushes it in another direction. If a person changes their mind, or if something else influences the situation that causes them to change his or her mind, the outcome will be different."

"I still don't understand. If Riley's death was the only correct outcome, wouldn't this threat have appeared as the result?"

Carlisle spoke quietly. "Alice, are you able to see what the trigger was for this event?"

She closed her eyes and projected forward into the vision. Bella and I watched closely as she saw the snowy field again. This time the vision allowed us to see more of the faces of the opposing side. Bella inhaled sharply and held it.

"How is she involved?"

"Who?" Carlisle asked.

"Victoria." Bella responded.

"Victoria? The leader of the Parisian clan?" Esme asked.

"The one who had Bella back in Paris, yes," Jasper replied, nodding.

Bella went over to Alice and grabbed her hands. Looking her in the eyes, she could only ask, "How?"

They stared at each other and then both sets of eyes went blank. Bella was pushing backward from the field, in essence trying to reverse the pinball trajectory. I watched as the images flickered backward in both their minds. Their visions then diverged, with Alice tracing one path while Bella traced another. Then the images stopped and I got a clear picture of the trigger… or rather, triggers.

"Christ Almighty," I yelped, running my fingers through my hair. Bella and Alice looked at me.

"How random is that?" Bella whispered. She looked back at Alice and grimaced. "No one could have predicted it, Alice."

Alice nodded. _Thank you, Bella._ Then their eyes flickered to Tanya and Kate.

"What was that?" Jacob asked. "Bella, why did you see-"

She cut him off. "No Jake, wait." She looked back at me. _Edward? Would you explain?_

I nodded and stepped forward. "To understand the situation, you have to understand nomadic vampires," I began, looking at the wolfpack, "They're the very essence of the pinball analogy. They're unpredictable and they change direction on a whim. Demetri, Felix, Riley… they were all nomads. They have no attachments; they meet up with others of their kind, travel together while it's convenient, and when their interests diverge, they part company."

"Demetri and Felix suspected that Bella was the Shri. They told some of the Elite at VampCon. Keep in mind that not everyone believes the Shri is evil, and some don't believe the Prophecy at all. They decided to take matters into their own hands and come after her and Alena. They failed."

"Riley was supposed to meet them. They never showed up and Riley knew what that meant. He created his own army to take her on and be the hero. He failed."

"Within the ten days between VampCon and this battle, Riley met up with some other nomads. From Paris. They invited him to go to San Francisco." I shook my head. Europeans really loved San Francisco. _Why couldn't they have gone to New Orleans? _I continued.

"When he didn't show up, they thought nothing of it. Nomads change their minds all the time and they didn't know anything about Demetri's and Felix's attack. So rather than staying in San Francisco, they took off a day or two early to go back home. They hopped on a plane passing through Heathrow earlier today." I looked back at Tanya and Kate. Their brows furrowed with confusion at my gaze.

"On the plane, they met Irina."

Kate and Tanya both gasped. "Irina? How is she involved?" Kate asked.

"And what is she doing on that plane? She was supposed to be going to Amsterdam tomorrow, not today," Tanya said.

Bella moved over to sit next to Tanya and gently touched her shoulder. "How is your relationship with Irina lately?"

Tanya shrugged uneasily. "I don't spend much time with her anymore, as you might imagine. My lifestyle has changed quite a bit since I met Jacob, but we're still 'sisters'. Are you saying she causes this?"

"Not intentionally," Alice answered gently. "With you staying a few extra days here, she decided to take off a day earlier. Their meeting was purely coincidental. Unfortunately, the meeting set off a chain of events. She was planning to go to Amsterdam. Now she's on her way to Paris."

"So, isn't it happening even as we speak? Can't we stop it? Call her? Text her and tell her to be careful with them?" Kate cried.

"These two aren't ordinary nomads. They appear to have… abilities," Alice said. "The female, Chelsea, somehow influences Irina to just stay with them and ignore any current or past ties to anyone. The male, Corin, somehow gets Irina to tell him things."

"One of those 'things' that she mentions is us. A northern coven of seven, now eight," Bella said. "By the time she gets off that plane, the events are already set in motion." She looked up at Kate and then back at Tanya. "When you spoke with her, to tell her that you were staying, did you mention why? Does she know about Jacob? About the twins?"

Both women shook their heads. Kate spoke first. "Eleazar was very clear regarding not speaking about Lucien and Alena. I've said nothing."

Tanya reached for Jacob's hand. "Considering that we didn't know about the twins until Jacob made plans to come meet Billy three weeks ago, I didn't have anything to report either. I barely saw her before we left." She looked at Jacob. "She knows that we were coming to meet Billy, but not about Jacob's accident or the wolves. I just left her a message letting her know I needed to stay an extra few days." Then she looked at Kate. "I hated not telling her, however, Irina tends to 'pillow talk', and this didn't seem like something to let fly in casual conversation." Kate nodded.

_Thank you, God,_ Bella thought. "Thank you both. That omission may help us."

Carlisle said, "Let's go back to the notion of separating, at least temporarily. You said it didn't work with Riley, but might it work here? I'm assuming it isn't just nomads coming, but the clans also. The clans would never risk exposure by slaughtering the whole town."

"Exposure?" Seth asked.

"We generally try to keep our existence quiet. Humans are not rational creatures. They fear the unknown and try to destroy it. Mass knowledge of our kind would set off a panic and could have devastating repercussions. There would be no reason for our opponents to 'out' vampires unless they were to benefit from it, or at least be assured that they'd be safe." He looked back at Alice. "So? Separating…?"

"We'll be safe, but they'll keep hunting for Bella and Alena, and eventually they'll find them."

Everyone froze. Rosalie said, "No, we're stronger together. Running isn't an option."

It was silent for a moment and then Emmett asked, "Alice, do we have a chance? Who wins?"

All eyes turned to her except for Bella's and mine. We stared at each other, already knowing the answer.

"I- I can't see the outcome!" she cried.

"What? What does that mean?" Rosalie asked.

"Bella is very, very angry. There is a flash of red, like extreme pain, and everything just… goes blank."

"Blank? Jesus, Alice, think unicorns, aliens, the Loch Ness monster. Assume every freakin' mythological creature in the world exists and push past it. We need to know!" Emmett growled.

Jasper growled back at him. "Watch it, Em."

Alice smiled at her husband and then she looked back at Emmett. "No, I'm not blind in this instance. The vision just stops."

"Does that mean we… die?" Quil asked.

She shook her head. "No, not necessarily. I would typically see that. I think there are so many possibilities right now, the vision is just frozen. This has never happened before."

Bella's shield suddenly dropped, closing her mind to mine. Jacob and I looked at each other, registering the void. I looked at her. Alice's eyes were unfocused for a moment as a new vision appeared. "NO!" I roared, ghosting to Bella. I grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't even think about it," I hissed.

Her eyes met mine. "Why not? Don't you see? If I give myself up, they get to destroy the Shri and maybe you, the twins, our family, our friends," she said gesturing around the room, "get a chance to live. I don't want to be the cause of all of your destruction!" she cried.

The room exploded as everyone started talking at once.

"No Bella, you can't-"

"You're our family-"

"It would destroy Edward, destroy us all!"

"Bells, we're with you, no matter what!"

"There must be another way-"

"Would that even work?"

_What the fuck?_ I let go of Bella and lunged at Jasper. Emmett, Carlisle and Seth were on me at once, holding me back. "What kind of question is that, Jasper?" I snarled.

Jasper sent calming waves, trying to relieve the tension that threatened to rip the room apart. His eyes met my stare.

"Edward, I mean no disloyalty or disrespect, but this is a war and we have to consider the ways to minimize the damage. It's just strategy. You know I don't want Bella to give herself up, but it was a legitimate suggestion on her part. She's thinking logically here."

I wanted nothing more than to rip his head off, and then more calming waves came at me from Bella. _Please Edward, don't hurt him. _She looked at Alice. "Would it work?"

Alice's eyes closed. I gasped. The images that followed were horrible. She opened her eyes and looked at the two of us. "No," she whispered. "That is the worst possible path you could take."

"Why?" Jasper asked. I growled again. _Edward, I just want to understand. I won't push it._

"Edward won't let Bella stand alone. We take off with the kids and Bella and Edward are both obliterated. The twins grow up with neither of their parents, and they grow up angry." She looked around. "You saw their powers today. That is only the beginning. When they're old enough, they go after every vampire out there." She looked up at me and then at Bella. "They bring the darkness to our existence."

"What if Edward didn't stand with me and instead took the kids?"

"BELLA!" I shouted, fighting my restraints. "Let go of me, damn it!"

"No, hold him." She walked up to me and touched my face. _Couldn't you do it for them? For me? Stay alive for their sake?_

I leaned into her hand. "My Love," I whispered.

"No," Alice said. "It's the same outcome. Edward is devastated and the kids seek revenge. No, Bella. That's the wrong road to take."

Bella's eyes stayed locked with mine. Then she looked at Carlisle, Emmett and Seth and nodded. They loosened their grasp. Her eyes started moving about the room, her mind quickly rehashing everything she saw in Alice's visions. She began pacing, and then stopped.

"Okay, let's start getting some of these 'possibilities' to come out in our favor. Alice, I saw Eleazar in your vision. And Larry." She looked at me. "We need their help and we need it now. Larry knows Victoria, and Eleazar is equally connected. Maybe we can describe the opponents to them and start to get a handle on what we're up against."

Esme looked at the clock on the mantle. "If we hurry, they can still make arrangements for the red-eye out of Fairbanks for Eleazar and Carmen. Larry can take the first flight out of Calgary in the morning and arrive shortly after Eleazar. Carlisle, why don't you call Eleazar? Edward..." Esme stopped and then came to stand in front of me, blocking my view of Bella. She reached up and held my face in her hands, forcing my eyes to meet hers.

"Edward, sweetheart, please call Larry now. There's no time to waste."

I nodded and then hugged her tightly. "Sure, Mom," I said softly. I raised my head to look over her at Bella. She was staring back at me.

Jasper walked over to Bella. "Bella, after today's events, I think you should go to your studio and start working on your control. There is only so much I can do. You're going to need to keep your wits about you if we're to have a fighting chance, okay?" His brow furrowed and then he followed her gaze to look at me. He looked back and forth between the two of us. "Maybe you should teach HIM some of those katas too. He's going to need to keep his cool through all this as well."

Bella finally broke our stare, looked up at him and nodded. "I'll start right now."

I took out my cell to call Larry and her eyes met mine one more time before she turned to leave.

_YOU. We need to talk,_ I thought, trying to contain my anger. Then I turned away and placed the call.

~#~

I could hear the music blasting from the studio as I made my way there ten minutes later and it fucking pissed me off even more. There would be no watching from the surveillance room tonight. I ghosted up the stairs and stood in the doorway. She was in her shorts and sports bra, kicking and punching the large bag in the corner to Linkin Park's 'What I've Done'. As the music transitioned to the next song, it confirmed what I thought.

She was listening to her Death and Dying playlist.

She removed the gloves and began moving, stretching, leaping to the music, lost in the song. It was a stunning modern dance she was creating right there in front of me.

If only it weren't such a God-damned fatalistic song: '24'.

_In 24 hours they'll be  
laying flowers  
on my life, it's over tonight  
I'm not messing no I  
need your blessing  
and your promise to live free  
please do it for me…_

I mentally shut off the iPod and she froze.

"Why the fuck are you playing this music?"

"It's just music, Edward," she said quietly. She mentally turned the iPod back on and restarted the song.

"Bullshit. Your musical choice always reflects your mood." I slowly walked toward her. "What kind of crazy thoughts are rolling around in that head of yours? Two days ago, you imagined taking them on yourself… and just now? What was that suggestion in there? You give yourself up?"

She whirled around to look at me. "Jasper explained it. That was just logic. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.' Haven't you read A Tale of Two Cities? I know you've seen The Wrath of Khan. If I could save you all by sacrificing myself, I would."

"Logic? Fuck logic, Bella!" I said, ghosting to her. I reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. "What about your heart? What about me?"

"That was about you, you ass! Edward, I can't stand the idea of a world without you in it. I can't be the cause of that!" Her eyes were wild, but they betrayed a small amount of fear.

I was losing it. I shook her, my hands gripping her even more tightly. "And how am I supposed to go on in a world without you in it? "

"Ow," she cried, her eyes wide, "you're actually hurting me!"

"You hurt me," I growled, "at the mere suggestion."

"I was just considering what would be best…"

#~#

I needed her to stop this nonsense.

I needed her to understand how I could never be without her.

Oh God, I needed her.

Always.

Forever.

#~#

I loosened my grasp, but keeping my hands on her, I rapidly pushed her back against the wall. "I seem to recall you once calling me out right here in this room for making decisions on your behalf," I said, grabbing her sports bra and pulling it up and off of her. "You don't get to do that for me." I stepped back and pulled off my shirt. "We decide our fate together." I kicked off my shoes, unbuttoned my pants and then removed them, never taking my eyes off of hers. The fear in her eyes started to dissipate and change into desire as she looked at me, my body and soul open and bare to her. "Are you giving up?" I growled. She shook her head.

I kneeled in front of her and removed her shoes and socks. Then I slowly pulled off her shorts and underwear as I watched her. I leaned in and swirled my tongue in her belly button, still watching her as I worked my way down. My face was at her crotch, her arousal urging me on. My tongue darted out for a long lick. "I didn't fucking hear the answer," I hissed. "Are. You. Giving. Up?"

She was radiating her desire now. "No, Edward," she cried. "Please…"

"Please what?"

"Please take me now. I need you," she moaned softly. "I love you. I'm sorry I hurt you."

I was on my feet instantly and pulled her against me, crushing her lips to mine. Our kiss quickly became frantic. "Take me," she whispered in between kisses. "Any way- any way you want."

I ghosted with her to the mirror, then spun her around so her back was against my chest. Placing her hands on the bar, I leaned her forward. Our eyes met in the mirror. "Any way I want?" She nodded. "Spread your legs," I ordered. "Wider."

I leaned over her and whispered in her ear. "I want you every way. Always, Bella," I said as I thrust myself inside of her wet warmth. "Forever."

She groaned and closed her eyes.

"No," I said, grabbing her hair and pulling back. "Look at me," I hissed as I moved slowly in and out of her. Her brown eyes were dark with lust as they met mine. Our eyes never broke contact as I picked up the rhythm, slamming into her again and again. I reached around to touch her, to bring her along with me.

As the singer whittled down the hours she had remaining, I leaned over, my chest against her back, to whisper in her ear. "You're mine, forever, Bella. I told you the night that I turned you: I can't be without you... I WON'T be without you," I said, kissing her neck. With another thrust, I spilled inside of her, calling out her name. I rubbed harder circles against her clit, and then I bit down, tasting her blood.

"Edward!" she cried, as she came.

_Oh, my Bella... don't ever leave me._

~#~#~

I had her every way that night.

She was mine.

_Mine.  
_

_Always._

_Forever._

~#~

I picked up Larry, Eleazar and Carmen at the airport the next morning. As we drove back, I spoke low and quickly, briefing them on the situation and letting them know about the one topic that was off the table for discussion: Bella's surrender. I didn't want it raised in front of the twins and have anyone slip and let them see that awful possibility. The rest of the family had agreed to avoid the topic.

Once we got home, Alice ran through her vision. The wolfpack had stayed home, knowing they could catch up on the story through Jacob. Bella and I watched the visions in Alice's head as she replayed it.

"Victoria, you say? And this Irina is with Chelsea and Corin?" Larry asked. Alice nodded. Larry looked up at us. "Both have powers, about that you are correct. Chelsea breaks and makes bonds. She makes you feel unwanted by your old friends or family so that you will be loyal only to her. Corin is like walking truth serum. Both of them freelance for Victoria. Whatever they get out of Irina will instantly be brought to Victoria's attention." He shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, any news about your family is of interest to her, as she is likely still resentful due to your actions years ago, coupled with the interesting timing of the disappearance of her – what did you call me, Emmett? 'House Elf'."

"There are so many others," Alice said. "A young girl, with short brown hair, an angelic face and big blue eyes. A boy with dark hair who resembles the girl. Those two look deceptively innocent. A dark man with dark eyes and a mate; they look to be of the same descent as Benjamin and Tia, so Egyptian, perhaps? An Asian man in a leather jacket, with the clan crest on it; Edward believes it's Chao Xu, the leader of the Hong Kong clan. Two pale short men, one with light gray hair and the other with dark hair."

"My buddy Vlad the Impaler is among the crowd," I muttered. "I should have taken him out in New Orleans."

Eleazar shook his head. "A young girl and boy? I have a thought as to who they are but I can't be sure, purely based on these descriptions." He paced a little. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to have you plugged into a screen so we could see it as you see it, Matrix style." I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. He shrugged. "What? I watch movies."

"Daddy, we can help!" Lucien said, running out from the playroom. Alena was right behind him.

"Lucien," Bella said, kneeling down in front of them, "you and Alena are supposed to be working on your math homework."

"But we heard. We can help!" Alena cried.

"How, babies?"

Alena showed her what they wanted to do.

"Holy cow!" Bella said excitedly. She looked at the two of them and then up at me. _Did you know she could do that?_

I shook my head and then grinned. _No. But I told you: we're in this together._ "Sì, andate avanti, bambini," I said to the twins. "Alice, could you run through your vision again?"

Lucien faced Alice, while Alena faced Eleazar and Larry. Alice ran through her vision once again, and Lucien read it from her mind. Alena picked it up out of his mind almost instantaneously, and then she projected it into Larry's and Eleazar's minds at the same time.

"What IS that?" Larry whispered in shock as Alena projected her thoughts into his head. "Blessed be," Eleazar exhaled in wonder as he realized what was happening.

Lucien ran through the opposing side, stopping at each face. Alena projected, adding Carlisle to her projection recipients.

Eleazar, Larry and Carlisle began calling out the opponents they recognized.

"Good Lord, that's Jane and Alec. They're dangerous. They have awful powers."

"I think the tall dark-haired one behind Alec is Jorge, from the Colombian clan."

"All of Victoria's clan is with her."

"The two pale ones with the translucent skin, that's Stefan and Vladimir. Older vampires. Nasty suckers."

"Members of the Egyptian clan… I see Amun and Kebi. I guess they're not with Benjamin and Tia anymore."

"Chelsea and Corin are there. We already know their powers."

"Irina?" Eleazar looked up at Tanya and Kate.

"She's on their side?" Garrett asked, stepping in to touch Kate's shoulder.

"She may not realize what she's doing if Chelsea hasn't let her go." Eleazar looked at Bella and then at the twins. He smiled. "A powerful family we have here."

Emmett sat up. "Hey, maybe you should project to all of us, Alena, so that we can see if we recognize any of them. The more we know, the better prepared we'll be."

I walked over to Alena and touched her head. She looked up at me. "Can you do that, little angel?"

"I think so... I can try!"

Lucien ran through the vision again and Alena expanded her projection to include everyone in the room. There was a collective gasp as they all watched Alice's vision. They also called out the names of the vampires they knew.

By the fourth time through, we'd identified at least half of our opponents and seventy-five percent of our allies. Everyone was talking amongst themselves when I noticed Alice's eyes were out of focus again. Bella's looked at me and then quickly down at Lucien, who was talking with Eleazar and Larry. We watched Alice's new vision. Everything was the same as we approached the scene where Bella was looking angry. At this point, it usually went red and then blank. Now there was one new flash, very quick, and then it was gone. It was so fast I almost didn't register it…I was no longer at Bella's side, but behind her, holding her.

"Al-" I began, but her thoughts cut me off instantly, her eyes flitting between Bella and me. _No Edward. Not here. Let me push on that one on my own. We'll talk privately when I've gotten there._

"What was that, Edward?" Emmett asked? "Did you say something?"

Bella and I looked at each other and nodded. "Allies," I said, looking around the room. "We need to start collecting our allies."

Carlisle nodded. "We have just under two months to get reinforcements here and make sure we have sufficient backing. Time to start calling in some favors."

"Who do we contact?" Tanya asked.

"Everybody," I said.

* * *

**A/N: Please review!  
**

_Post A/N: My chapter thank yous..._

_Irritable Grizzzly for handling these longer, more complicated chapters._ _  
Camilla10 and AnnaLund for their help with the Italian phrases again._ _  
And, as always, MrsEdwardCullenP for her help as my sounding board on this chapter with the Irina situation and the studio scene. Epharisto, Pen!_

_Also, I know that in the real Twi-stories, Corin is female. But as she's a lesser used character, I took liberties and made her male for my story. I liked the name. LOL.  
_


	18. Death and All Her Friends

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. 'Finale B' lyrics by Jonathan Larson.  
**

**

* * *

Chapter 18: Death and All Her Friends**

**EPOV**

The good news – to the extent an impending vampire war could have any good associated with it – was that we had almost two months to plan and prepare. For us to have a fair chance at survival, we needed to strategize using our collective perspectives and skills.

We had a solid start on the military skills with the friends and family already present. Of course, we relied on Jasper, as always, to provide us with the tactical perspective from his time as a fighter during the American Civil War.

Garrett proved immediately valuable. His experience as part of the colonial militia during the American Revolution afforded us a different perspective on locations and battle tactics.

Larry's knowledge, not only of the history of the coven fighting, but also his direct experience existing through the Reign of Terror and the French Revolution, gave us insight into the brutal expertise of some of our opponents.

Moreover, Larry and Eleazar gave us firsthand knowledge of some of our most dangerous opponents.

"Victoria's strongest asset is that she is one of the elders in Europe. Her power extends far beyond France. Most of her guard was fought during the Revolution or the Franco-Prussian war," Larry explained, "But she also wields power of a different kind: she controls the largest blood bank network in Europe. She commands respect, says it like it is, and doesn't suffer fools gladly."

"Are this Jane and Alec part of her clan?" Jacob asked.

"Jane and Alec answer to no one," Eleazar said ominously. "Alec has the ability to numb an individual so that they don't feel it when they're being ripped apart. Jane's ability is almost the opposite. She mentally projects pain to the individual so they feel tortured, even though nothing physical is happening to them. She's sadistic. The two of them together are just plain evil."

"Chao Xu's clan is vicious. Many are experts in knife and swordplay, having been ninja assassins in a previous life," Rosalie said. "Obviously this is only important if they get close enough to use the sword to behead someone."

Alice's eyes were unfocused as more images flashed by. "God, one of them wields some weird contraption that looks like a Frisbee attached to a long chain. They toss it onto a person's head, and it covers the head like a ski mask and rips the head off the body. It seems to have a range of about 30 feet."

"Holy shit…" Paul muttered. "I saw that in one of those martial arts movies. It's a 'flying guillotine'.

"I can stop that," Bella said confidently. "What other weapons have you seen?"

Alice closed her eyes and scanned the opponents in her vision. "Crossbows…" she said slowly, "armed with wooden stakes."

"Interesting," Jasper said. "Good weapon. Immobilize the opponent from afar and then have someone up close finish them off."

Bella shook her head. "The hell they will." Her eyes were fierce. Emmett stepped to her side and put his arm around her.

"That's right, little sis. Let them fight us up close. None of this lame-ass distance bullshit." He looked around at the group. "What or who else to they have to throw at us?"

We spent the next two days documenting the strengths, weaknesses and likely tactics that would be applied by our opponents. Our opposition also appeared to include two vampires with light telekinesis, but from what we could see, they were no match for Bella's and my abilities. Moreover, they didn't seem to have any psychics on their side, which put us at a major advantage.

We then started our own list of allies and the talents they brought to the table. Alice's vision had already shown us many of them, but we also remembered a few others.

Bella's face fell as the family discussed our allies. "I don't really know any vampires other than those at our wedding," she sighed. "I'm not being too helpful here in the ally department."

"Hey, what are we? Chopped liver?" Jacob asked with a smile. "Bells, you brought us, which brings the element of surprise: they don't know about the wolves."

Bella smiled at Jacob, "Yeah, I guess I do kick some ass in the ally department."

Of course, contacting our friends for help wasn't just a matter of a simple phone call. Yes, there would be some who would line up on our side, no questions asked. Then there would be others, like Eleazar, who might need some convincing at first, but would eventually listen to reason. However, with the paranoia lurking out there about the Shri, and the knowledge that some had been told of her existence and whereabouts less than two weeks before, Eleazar and Larry were convinced that the phone lines and internet would be monitored.

This meant face-to-face conversations, and it's not exactly like they were living next door.

We got a map and analyzed the last known locations of our allies and then divided the regions up into assignments. However, not everyone could go in search of help. Obviously, Bella and I needed to stay behind to look after the twins.

Alice also wanted to stay behind so that Jasper could help Bella with exercises to keep her in control of her temper. She also wanted to help get the spare cottage ready for our additional guests.

The rest of the family would take the regions in which they had the most knowledge and contacts: Esme & Carlisle – Africa; Emmett and Rosalie – Asia; Garrett and Kate – Australia; Larry and his friend Randall – Europe; and Eleazar and Carmen – South America.

As our family and friends began planning for their trips, the members of the wolfpack expressed concern for the stability of Alice's vision. "Is there any chance of them coming earlier than November 6th?" Seth asked.

"No," Alice said firmly. "They need time to amass."

Jasper nodded. "Their attack will require a coordinated effort. They're coming to take down the most powerful vampire ever. They won't rush it."

Before our family took off on their respective quests, we still had a few loose ends to tie up. Jacob and Tanya left for a few days to go back to San Francisco, bring back clothing for his extended stay, and to request a leave of absence from Google.

Bella and Alice worked to rearrange Bella's upcoming choreography schedule. Finally, in an attempt to provide some semblance of 'normalcy' before life turned upside-down, we gave the twins a birthday party.

Despite the general somber mood most of us had been in over the past week, we managed to make a festive day for Lucien and Alena, even purchasing an industrial-strength inflatable jumper – which Emmett managed to break when he decide to join the twins and the wolfpack. Despite this little mishap, our extended vampire-werewolf-halfling-human family had some fun and laughs along with the children.

The next day, with hugs and kisses and quite a few tears from the twins, we bid farewell to our family and friends as they left on their journeys. With a promise to send anyone back who could get there soon and to keep in touch, they quickly took off.

We continued to attempt a regular schedule for the children so that they would have some stability. We maintained family studio time so they could bounce around the room, singing and dancing. While Alena and Luc's musical tastes were diverse, they typically requested songs their mother could dance to. Therefore, I was not quite prepared for the song they picked out three days after our family's exodus.

"You want me to play this?" I asked, looking at the sheet music Lucien had handed me.

"Yes, Daddy," he responded. "Please," Alena said.

Bella looked at the song and her brow furrowed. "Why do you want THIS song, my angels?"

"We like it," they said in unison.

"How do you even know about this song?" I asked.

"I saw it in Aunt Alice's head yesterday," Lucien said. "It was pretty," Alena followed. "Then we looked it up on YouTube."

Bella leaned over the edge of the piano, watching as the twins sat on either side of me and began to sing with the music.

"_There's only us, there's only this,  
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss  
No other road, no other way  
No day but today..."_

As their angelic voices harmonized, my gaze met Bella's. We knew that Alice had been trying to push on new portions of the vision, but hadn't heard anything new. _Alice's head? She had a vision with this song in it?_

Over the next several days, Jasper worked with Bella to try to control her emotions and calm her down instantly when she needed it. She spent a lot of time in the studio dancing or doing katas.

Meanwhile, when she wasn't in the studio, I'd see her wandering off into the woods lost in thought. I soon learned that Bella was trying to play with her powers and do as the boys had suggested, and project her mental shield further out while using her telekinesis.

"This is hard to do," she said, gritting her teeth in frustration as Alice, Jasper and I sat watching her in our backyard while the kids were off with Seth and Jacob at La Push one afternoon. "Jasper has me trying to be calm, but when I'm angry, I find it easier to manipulate the shield and use The Force to throw things around."

"Ah, yes, Young Skywalker, beware of the power of the Dark Side." Jasper said chuckling.

Alice suddenly jumped up with a cry, "Oh God!"

Jasper was wrapped around Alice instantly. Meanwhile, Bella reached out for Alice's hands. "Show us, Alice," she said quietly.

Bella pushed into Alice's mind, working backward and finding that the vision had progressed from its frozen state.

Bella was livid in the vision, her body shaking with anger. The opposing vampires were on their knees, clutching their throats.

The vision flashed again, but this time members of our side were falling to their knees.

_Flash_: Eleazar mustering all the strength he could to make it toward Bella.

_Flash_: Me grabbing on to her from behind as if to hold her back.

"Alice, what does it mean?" I whispered.

"I've played this scenario a dozen ways, Edward. The gathering. The confrontation. The threat. They all end the same way. If Bella can't keep her cool…" She looked at Bella. "You'll kill everyone. You'll kill them all."

Bella gasped. "No. that can't be! Jasper will help keep me calm and-" Alice's eyes looked away. "Wait. Where are you going?"

Alice sighed and looked back at us. "There's only one way to win this. The opposition won't listen to your reason and logic; it is a deep-seated fear for many. We need to find _them_."

_Them. Riiight._

"But they've gone underground again," Jasper said. "Seriously, Alice, those are two vampires who just don't want to be found."

Alice ran through a separate set of images. Bella looked at her in surprise. "That was my dream, right before I turned again," she said in amazement as she took in the image of the man in the duster coat smiling at Bella and me.

Alice nodded. "That was my 'dream' too. I saw that vision six years ago." She paused. "Look, almost everything I've seen as it relates to this is now coming to pass. I think THAT needs to happen and I think we need to do everything in our power to make sure that it does."

Alice took a deep breath, preparing herself – and us – for the next part.

"I can't do it alone."

Her tone was foreboding and put me on edge. Moreover, she was blocking me, trying to control my reactions. "What do you mean?" I asked warily.

"Jasper will have to come with me because…"

"…because, if something happens to us, we can't leave you mateless. We'd always want the mates to stay together," Bella said, finishing the thought. I suddenly noticed that she was holding Alice's hands again.

Alice nodded sadly. "Yes… but also, I can't be in two places at once, and for this quest, there is a good chance we'll need to separate… each taking one of the twins with us."

"WHAT?" I bellowed, caught off-guard.

"It's the only way! They must SEE them to know it's begun!"

I was desperate and started grasping for anything. "But one of them had powers, if I recall correctly! He... he could read minds too. Just show him your mind and he'll see. You don't need to bring Alena and Lucien!"

"Edward, everything we know is pure legend. We don't know for sure that he has that power. I once heard his power was only by touch. If that is so, he'd have to let us near him to touch him. If he's hiding, having him see us out in the open with the kids will be the only way to draw him out to see the truth." Jasper said quietly. "Please, separate the emotional part of this and look at it logically."

"You're not taking our kids on some wild goose chase!" I shouted.

"It IS the only way, Edward," Bella said softly, her voice shaking as she looked down at her feet. "She's right, and if nothing else, if God forbid we're killed, the twins will be in good hands with Alice and Jazz."

It came out of my mouth faster than I could censor it. "Bella! You'd give up the kids so easily?"

Bella instantly let go of Alice's hands and stepped up to smack my face. "How dare you say that, Edward!" she cried, her voice quivering with anger. "Give them up so 'easily'? Is that what you think?!"

I reached for her hands and held them in mine. "My Love, I'm sorry. I didn't think. This is happening too fast. Please forgive me."

Her eyes softened and she nodded.

"Bella," Jasper said quietly, "those outbursts are precisely what you have to work on. You can't allow yourself to lose control…"

"Your powers are going to grow exponentially over the next several weeks," Alice said, "primarily out of need. With all of these new vampires around, you'll be learning and you'll be tested. You have to rise above it all. Come… let's get back to the house and get packed up. Jasper, contact Jenks and tell him we need those passports I called about a few days ago." We looked at her and her eyes were sad. "I didn't know why. I just went ahead and ordered them."

When the kids got back from La Push, they instantly noted the activities and saw their packed gear. Lucien looked at each of us and realized they were heading out with Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. Alena picked up his thoughts immediately and their eyes quickly teared up as they started to panic. "We don't want to leave you!" Alena said. "We can help! Please don't send us away!" Lucien cried.

I sat down on the bed and drew them to me in a hug. I kissed them both on their foreheads and tried to keep my thoughts cheery. "You _are_ going to help us, bambini. You're going to go with Alice and Jasper to get us help, and then you'll come back soon, okay?"

We stayed in the kids' room that night, holding them and each other after they'd cried themselves to sleep. Bella and I stared at each other, lost in silent conversation and quiet observation about the new visions. When the day broke and Jasper returned with the paperwork, we bid farewell to the children.

"You be good for Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. Remember, you're going to get us the best and most important help, d'accordo?" Bella whispered. "And, no matter what, you use your powers only for good things, okay?"

We put them in their car seats and moved to say goodbye to Alice and Jasper, as Jacob, Tanya and Seth said goodbye and gave them pep talks. When Bella went back to fiddle with the kids' belongings and talk to them some more, my sister and brother quickly took a moment to advise me.

_Edward, no matter how strong she'll look, how strong she'll seem… she'll need you most of all. You're her rock._ Jasper thought.

_Love her like there's no tomorrow, Edward. Give her everything you've got. It could save us all in the end._ Alice thought as she hugged me.

For their safety, we had agreed that Jasper and Alice would not be in touch lest our communications fall into the wrong hands; with no visible attachments to us, the kids might have a fighting chance should they encounter any opponents in their quest to find the help we needed. It was the right decision... but it made our farewell even harder. We masked the sadness in our hearts and minds and waved confidently with smiles on our faces as we watched our kids drive away. Would we see Jasper and Alice again? Was this the last time we'd see our children?

As soon as the car drove out of sight, Bella dropped to the ground. Her small form shook as she cried, tearless agonizing sobs wracking her body. I fell to my knees at her side and pulled her to me.

"Is THIS the 'all powerful' Shri?" she wailed.

I looked up to see Jacob holding Tanya, and Seth standing by awkwardly, their faces marked with sadness. Jacob nodded to me as he led them away, giving us some time alone.

I could feel her despair. "Bella, please," I said, kissing her hair, her forehead, her face. "Please don't…"

"Oh, I'm- I'm sorry, Edward!" she gasped. "Am I radiating too much?" She quickly cocooned herself in her cone of silence bubble, holding her pain in.

I knew from her last turning that the cocoon protected us, but the more tightly she wrapped it around herself, the more lonely and oppressive it was for her. I needed to be strong for both our sakes, despite the pain I felt watching our children leave us; she needed to know she could count on me.

"No, Love, please. Don't block it from me; let me in. Get it out and cry all you need. I'm here."

She sobbed until the dawn broke. I held her all night.

And just loved her.

~#~

Bella returned to her studio immediately the next morning and continued working on mastering her control and working multiple skills under a calm state. I sat with her, trying to help, encouraging her and testing her as much as possible.

Esme and Carlisle were the first to return two days later, and the other family members made it shortly after them. By the time Larry and Randall made it back from Europe two days after that, we already had the first wave of friends, and friends of friends, flocking in.

Bella was shocked when Serena and Marco pulled up with two other vampires, Mikela and Julieta.

Bella ran to Serena and pulled her into a hug. "What-? How did you know?"

"I felt a great disturbance in 'The Force'," Serena said mysteriously. Bella's eyes widened and then Serena laughed. "Edward called me and said you needed help."

Her eyes glanced over at me before looking back at her friend. "BB, you're one of the most independent people I know and you'd never ask for help unless the sky was falling. We came as soon as we could and brought a couple of additional 'umbrellas'," she said, pointing at the two women behind her.

As I had done with all of the other acquaintances who'd come to our home, I probed the minds of Serena's companions. Their thoughts were warm and showed nothing but support for their friends. I could only hope they'd stay this warm once they learned the news.

Bella looked at her in wonder. "But your pensione? You just left it?"

Serena grabbed Bella by the shoulder. "BB, Stop. I have an assistant manager. You ask, I come. No questions."

Marco wrapped his arms around Serena's waist and kissed her cheek. "She is a force of nature, and, I am relieved of cooking duties at Pensione Karma for a while," he said chuckling.

Marco smiled at us, and then his brow instantly furrowed as he took us in. I heard his thoughts. _Due corde… _he looked up at me. I shook my head and answered quickly. "Please keep it to yourself for now. We'll explain shortly."

Most of our friends had been informed of the situation. Peter, Charlotte, Benjamin and Tia, Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie all came, no questions asked.

Even the friends we didn't see that often – Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri from South America, and Hiroshi and Michiko from Japan – were ready to lend their support. Therefore, we only really had to worry about the reactions of their friends and the additional acquaintances.

In order to accommodate such a large group, we piled into the studio, as it was large enough to hold the 53 vampires we had on our side so far.

Carlisle stepped forward. "My family and I welcome you to our home and we truly appreciate your patience thus far, and your potential support."

Larry's friend Charles spoke first. "Larry said this gathering had something to do with the Shri. Is she coming here?"

Some of the newcomers shifted uneasily.

"What do you know about the Shri?" Carlisle pressed.

"She's a powerful vampire, evil…"

"Charles, how many times do we have to argue about this? We don't know that," Larry's friend Makenna said. "I think something is wrong with the Prophecy. I've heard different versions of the stanzas." There were a few murmurs from the group as heads nodded in agreement.

"I've never heard anything good about her," Charles argued.

"My friends," Eleazar began, interrupting the discussion, "I once felt and believed as you do. I believe you may end up changing your mind, just as I did.."

"Wait, why do I have to feel differently?" Charles asked. "IS she coming?"

"No," Bella said carefully, "she's already here."

Confusion and fear suddenly dominated the thoughts of the newcomers. Hiroshi asked the question on everyone's mind. "Are we here to help you fight her?"

"No," she said softly, "you're here to help protect her - protect me." The room was deadly quiet as she and I took in their thoughts. "Since you're obviously aware of the Prophecy and the Shri legend, let me tell you some things that you don't know:

"When I was out of college and human, I used to go with a girlfriend to snowshoe and ice skate every winter at a resort in a town called Ward in Colorado."

Groans and gasps abounded from newcomers and some of our friends.

"Ward?! As a HUMAN?"

"Jesus... and you made it out alive… I mean, as a human?"

"Yes," she said, her eyes gleaming, "and hold on to that thought because it's important."

Bella then explained it all. The man in the duster coat. The man with the sword. The ghost. She explained the events since meeting me. The attacks and the blood intake. Her turning by blood intake and her issues with the blood bank product. She spoke only of the events, not the results and her escalating abilities.

The group stood mesmerized by the story as they listened with open minds, their faith in our family and/or their friends affording us the opportunity to explain.

She paused for a moment and I could hear her trying to figure out how to relate the rest. I continued for her. "We realized early on, even before she was a vampire, that she was gifted. I wasn't able to read her mind until she had almost maxed out on her energy levels. Moreover, as a human, she began to absorb my abilities, as well as Jasper's, through the blood intake."

There were murmurs from the group as their eyes shifted from me, and then back to Bella.

"Bella's blood is different and it is appears to be the source of her abilities. She can temporarily absorb the powers of others." Carlisle said, looking at me and Bella. I mentally gauged the group's reactions as Bella took in their emotional state. Sensing that they were still openly listening, albeit cautiously, we nodded at him to continue.

"Bella's blood also absorbed enough human hormones from the blood bank product to turn her human temporarily," he said. "She gave birth to our grandchildren last September, and then Edward turned her back into a vampire with his venom before she could expire."

The room was eerily silent as the impact of his words. We heard them mentally churning through everything that had just been relayed to them.

_Grandchildren? More than one child?_

_Retains her humanity…_

_A powerful vampire is born… did she turn in August '05?_

_Impossibility, daughter or son…_

_Due corde… Due..._

Finally, the silence was broken.

"I knew it!" Makenna said. "I told you the stanzas were wrong," she said triumphantly, pointing at Charles. She looked back at us, smiling gently. "You have both a daughter and son, don't you?" We nodded.

"Where are they?" Serena asked.

"They're with Jasper and Alice, trying to get more help." I said.

"You mean they're in search of Marcus and Aro, don't you?" Mikela asked. We looked at her steadily. "Are either Alice or Jasper trackers? No one has seen them in hundreds of years!"

"Alice is psychic, and with our children, she is our best chance of finding them," Bella said. "And, you're wrong on that last part… I've seen them, and they've seen me." She looked at Rosalie who was standing behind the group near our laptop. She'd hooked it up to the projector. I nodded at her and she turned it on.

Rosalie projected the image on the far wall for all to see. It was the picture of the Ancients. The group murmured. Some had seen this picture before, but not many.

Bella walked up to the wall and stood in front of the image. "You were wondering how I made it out of Ward alive?" She looked up and pointed. "This is how. This was the man in the duster, and, I've come to realize, the voice that spoke to me that night. This was the man with the sword."

Our friends looked at Bella in shock as they realized the implications of her statement. I jumped in. "Marcus also found us in Santorini a year and a half ago. He commented to me about my mate and wished us well."

Bella nodded. "These two, the two remaining ancients knew who I was – or rather, who I would be – and they didn't harm me. In fact, I'll bet they had something to do with me making it out of Ward very much a human." She looked around at the group. "They wanted this to happen."

The collective mindset in the group shifted as they realized the truth of her words. She smiled at them, encouraged by their thoughts. "Rose, would you please show the other photos?"

Rosalie nodded and pulled up the digital picture gallery of our children. The crowd looked in awe as their angelic faces flashed by, each picture showing them growing rapidly, playing, dancing, laughing. Bella's face contorted in sadness for a moment before she spoke.

"Friends, a month ago, I was just Bella Cullen, mother of two sweet talented children and part of the Cullen family. Today I'm the Shri and events have unfolded which have led us to ask for your support.

We have faced two attempts on my life and on the lives of my children and family. Alice says they're coming en-masse in about a month and a half. We never expected that it would come to this. I've considered just giving myself up so that my family could run and survive, but Alice said it would only cause the darkness, not prevent it." Bella's face was sad again and she turned away from the crowd.

I walked over to her, pulled her to me and kissed her forehead. Looking around the room, I said, "We're hoping to reason with them, but we know that emotions run high regarding this legend. We can't ask you to lay your lives on the line for us," I said, more for Bella's benefit than the others. We were in this together, no matter what. "We can only ask that you stand with us to provide a show of support and we understand if you feel the risks are too-"

Benjamin shook his head and cut me off with a smile. "We cannot let fear run our lives. Tia and I are with you, however you need us. We'll fight with you, if it comes to that."

Peter and Charlotte nodded their heads in agreement. "We stand by you all. We know the truth and we'll try to help them see it."

The room came alive with murmurs of support. The crowd instantly began talking amongst themselves about others who could help. Bella was shaking in my arms, her eyes wide with amazement at the outpouring of love and friendship, the feelings overwhelming her. She looked over at Serena who was on the phone, speaking rapidly in Hindi.

"Who are you calling?" Bella asked.

Serena snapped her phone shut as she ended the conversation, "Reinforcements."

Bella's eyes widened. "Can we trust them?"

Serena's eyes narrowed. "Oh ye of little faith," she said, shaking her head. "BB, I'm connected to all the right people. More help is on its way; I'm getting you a whole truckload of umbrellas my friend."

"How-?"

Serena smiled warmly at her friend. "Ah, you know me. I work magic with my magnetic personality."

Bella hugged her. "Glad your ego is still intact, sister," she said, teasingly. She pulled away and laughed. "So, you haven't developed any superpowers over the past few years that I don't know about, have you?"

Serena raised an eyebrow and then she pretended to be shocked. "What, bending the world to my will isn't enough?"

* * *

**A/N: Help is on its way. As are the enemies. **

**The showdown begins.**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: To the Irritable Grizzzly... glad you're not lying in a ditch (*wink*) and thank you, as always, for your betaness._

_To the readers: I anticipate that the next chapter will be posted on 1/10/10... but after that, no gaps in weekend postings as we finish up this story.  
_


	19. Everybody Wants to Rule the World

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.**

_A/N1: Hey readers, Happy New Year! I'm posting this one a few days earlier than planned as the VERY busy Beta, Irritable Grizzzly, got to my story really quickly! Thank you, oh lovely IG.  
_

_Mini spoiler alert on the first three paragraphs of this ch. Sorry. Can't be helped. However, Star Trek: TNG ended 15(!) years ago. If you haven't seen it by now, chances are you aren't going to... *wink*_

**

* * *

Chapter 19: Everybody Wants to Rule the World**

**BPOV**

_The series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation was probably one of the best shows of the entire seven seasons. Captain Jean Luc Picard 'mind traveled' through time, at one moment finding himself in the past, in the next moment, the future, only to land in the present again. In all three timelines, the Enterprise was sent to investigate an anomaly. _

_The anomaly was larger in the past than in the present, and was non-existent in the future. So Future Picard initiated a pulse to probe where this anomaly should have been. He did the same in the past and present to find out what was causing it and why it was different in all three timelines._

_As it turned out, in doing this, Picard himself was the cause. His actions in trying to prevent the anomaly actually created it._

_As we stood there in the middle of the snow, facing our enemies, my mind desperately trying to hold onto some last scraps of sanity, I was struck with the odd similarity. _

_THEY caused this. Their actions were pushing me toward a conclusion I'd never imagined…_

~#~

Over the next several weeks, we had an amazing outpouring of support. Civilized vampires from near and far came to help us. Many had come thinking the Prophecy was just legend… so finding out the Shri actually existed was a shock at first.

Others thought the Prophecy was just wrong and that if there was an 'event', it couldn't be all gloom and doom.

Then there was the last bunch: those who initially came out of morbid curiosity. Once we ran through my history again, they all understood and stayed to provide their support.

When the first group of guests arrived, we revealed almost everything… but we kept the wolves out of the story. However, as more vampires arrived in Forks, we could no longer avoid their introduction; the prominence of vampires unfortunately caused several more of the tribe members to phase.

"Dude, I see dead people," Paul whispered to Seth, as we made the first set of introductions. "A LOT of dead people."

Seth groaned and rolled his eyes. "Paul…" he muttered under his breath.

"Uh, Dude," Emmett said in a mock stage whisper, "we can hear you!"

Surprisingly, the introduction of the wolfpack actually helped strengthen the resolve of our friends. As legend rapidly crystallized into reality in front of their eyes – the powerful female vampire who indeed befriended the beasts – their respect for what happened to me quickly turned to awe.

Moreover, my friendship with Jacob, his half-vamp/half-wolf status, his leadership of the pack and his bond with Tanya, solidified an underlying collective belief that we were all working toward an unknown greater good.

Charlie moved to Sue's house at La Push, granting me a little peace of mind knowing he was somewhat safely ensconced among the tribe, while affording us extra space for our guests. Likewise, we moved the cars from the garage and put some furniture there – not that they needed to sit, necessarily – just to give our visitors an alternate area besides our home and the spare cottage for them to congregate and just… be.

The guests quickly understood that unless we needed a large meeting space in which to use the projector, the studio was generally off-limits, especially when Edward came with me. More than ever, we required alone-time.

The absence of our children weighed heavily on our minds and we missed them horribly. We only thought of it when we were alone, not wanting the overall congregation of vampires to be drawn into our concern for the outcome of this endeavor. Would Alice and Jasper be victorious in their quest? Would we?

As we neared our anniversary, the date taking on a tertiary, less celebratory significance, a desperate need for each other surfaced. Our couplings were at times a violent… fucking, to put it crassly… just to satisfy the raw animal craving and physical longing.

At other times, our lovemaking was sweet and tender as we let our souls try to bring each other some peace. And sometimes it was actually both, as lust and love blurred in our joining. As always, the studio was our place to be together… our time only.

I practiced every day for several hours, sometimes in the studio, but more often outside as some of the vampires, particularly the Chinese, Japanese and Russian contingents, joined me.

We taught each other katas and new moves, and sparred with each other. They were very supportive, and pretty damn brave, as I sometimes fought several of them at once, allowing me to test my hand-to-hand combat in combination with my telekinesis and power absorption.

I often ghosted near Kate or Benjamin to touch them and then either taser, or cause the ground to shake beneath my opponents, just to test different possibilities. Of course, I didn't want to use Benjamin's elemental manipulation powers too often around Forks, as a freak lighting strike or a real earthquake would definitely cause the humans to take notice.

After a few times doing this with several of the gifted vampires, my ability to absorb began to last longer than a few moments; sometimes I could maintain the powers for up to a half-hour. Moreover, I noticed that I could use several of the powers in combination, although this worked a hell of a lot better if I was annoyed.

Fortunately for me, Emmett and Garrett tried to lighten the general mood by joking, often at my expense. One day, this worked in my favor when in a huff of aggravation, I experimented with Kate's taser and unexpectedly projected it out with my telekinesis, effectively causing invisible lightning to hit them from across the clearing. Alice was correct: my powers were growing exponentially. It was almost as if anything I imagined, anything I wished, was possible, just like the powers of my two little wandering angels.

Those with mental skills were extraordinarily helpful. One of the South African visitors, Josef, was a 'pusher.' His luring talents worked on vampires. You might be doing one thing and the next moment, at his suggestion with his velvety, seductive voice, you would be doing something else entirely.

Meanwhile, one of the Amazonian women, Zafrina, had the ability to project images into your head, making you imagine you were somewhere else altogether, or nowhere at all, as she mentally put you in the dark. Between Josef and Zafrina, I was able to practice extending my mental shield away from me to protect those around me.

I found that if I could somehow take the general feelings of resentment I had for those whom I'd soon be facing, wrap it in a bit of calm, but still be aware of its presence, I was able to tap into it more easily and project it farther. I mentally envisioned my shield as a thick large rubber band that I threw up in the air and watched as it landed on the bodies of everyone around me. One amazing thing we quickly learned was that when one of a mated pair was in the mental shield, the other was protected. Moreover, it appeared that when Jake as Alpha was safe, so was the whole pack. This was a blessing, as it helped us plan the positioning of the wolves.

In addition to the tactical wolf placement, we also discussed how best to organize within the clearing. Of course, I was to be front and center; they were coming for me and I wasn't going to hide. Edward would be right at my side, and our family planned to position themselves in close proximity.

Jacob claimed my other side, and next to him would be Tanya, Kate and Garrett, who were hoping to see and make contact with their sister. Completing the semi-circle around me were Larry, Eleazar and Marco, who would use their collective knowledge of the opposition, as well as Eleazar's and Marco's talents, to help gauge the strengths of our enemies in real-time.

As the day drew closer, we scouted out the appropriate position for the encounter; we desperately wanted it to be outside of Forks, away from the humans. Eventually, we hit upon the location that we'd seen in Alice's vision. It was a large clearing between Forks and Lake Crescent that was indeed large enough to hold the group that was expected to amass there.

In order to make sure the message got out to the opposing side, we began marking the road signs between Seattle and Forks in the ancient language that all vampires innately understood as soon as they were turned. The markings were faint and when viewed by human eyes, would appear to simply be scribbles. However, as it was my head they were after, I made sure the message was clear:

_Welcome visitors.  
Your presence is requested at the coordinates below.  
We have much to discuss.  
I look forward to meeting you.  
The Shri_

When the snowstorm hit on November fifth, we tried not to despair in the fact that we still had no word or sign from Alice and Jasper. Knowing we were as prepared as we could ever be, but still praying for a 'Hail Mary' pass, Edward and I led the way to the clearing to wait for our "guests".

I closed my eyes and conjured up peaceful images to keep my cool. After a few minutes, I opened them and slowly walked around to speak with and thank and/or touch every one of the vampires standing with us.

I lingered more with some, particularly those who had been with us through it all. I touched Larry's face in thanks and put my hands on Eleazar's shoulders, looking into his eyes and nodding appreciatively.

I embraced Kate, Garrett and Tanya, and was pulled into not one, but two, giant wolf and bear hugs in succession by Jake and Emmett. I kissed Rose on the cheek, while Carlisle and Esme in turn kissed me on the forehead.

Finally, I made my way back to Edward's side. I closed my eyes again and reached out to him. He quickly pulled me to him, my body pressed against his, and I let my love for him flow freely out of me so that he felt it in every fiber of his being. He, in turn, did the same.

His kiss was hard and urgent and just too damn short.

_I love you, Edward. Always._

_Forever, My Bella. Forever._

He stepped away from me as we registered their approach.

They were here.

~#~

Fearing a mental attack before we could properly address them, I quickly tapped into that kernel of resentment and annoyance, wrapped it in my calm blanket, and threw out my mental shield. I envisioned it covering my family and friends and could feel it envelop the crowd around me. I moved forward one step to plant myself firmly in the snow and felt it shimmering around me, still protecting my allies.

We could hear some of their thoughts as they approached, although many appeared to be keeping their minds blank, obviously alerted to our talents by Irina and Victoria. They had decided that with Alice among us, an ambush would not be possible.

They came upon the field slowly, cautiously, and primarily from the same direction, although some did wander past our ranks from behind us. Those who came from that direction were careful not to stir up any trouble prematurely, unsure of their chances at that moment.

Their ranks quickly lined up behind the leaders, and the front line consisted of those we'd expected to see: Victoria, Jane, Alec, Vladimir, and Stefan all appeared exactly as we'd seen in Alice's vision.

Jorge and the Colombians, Philip, Jackie and the New Zealanders, Nikolas and the Greek clan, Chao Xu and his assassins… they all stood before us looking strong and fierce. Then their eyes scanned the field, and as they took in their counterparts from their respective countries lined up among us, their confidence waned slightly. Finally, the collective set of eyes fell on me and for a moment, I felt a small undercurrent of something…

Hesitancy? Fear? Doubt?

_Good. Hold on to those feelings folks._ I could only hope it would help us.

We took in their ranks; they outnumbered us by at least 40 vampires, but Team Jacob had yet to make an appearance, the twenty-one members of the wolfpack staying away from the field until Jacob called to them.

As we scanned the crowd, three of the opposing members were disturbingly absent: Corin, Chelsea and Irina were not among them. Kate and Tanya shifted uneasily, both wondering when they'd see their lost sister.

Never breaking eye contact with the crowd, I quickly called to out to the three gentlemen behind me in the hushed whisper of our low tone:

"Larry?" I asked.

_Victoria's group is there. I also see that she's got backing from some of the Spanish and Portuguese clan members, although none of them are particularly worrisome. I am concerned, however, that Corin and Chelsea are missing. Victoria's face is smug. That could mean a very ugly surprise."_

I nodded. "Thanks. Eleazar?"

_No telepaths. Possibly one mental shield. Three with very light telekinesis. One bond reader. One fire-starter. Two thought projectors – like Alena. Two emotion-readers – can't influence, though. We already know the abilities of Jane and Alec, and I don't see the walking truth serum or the bond breaker._

"Thank you, Eleazar. Marco?"

_Unlike our side, the bonds are light among the crowd. The clans are linked only to each other, but not between groups. Even within the clans, the bonds are thin: this to me means loyalty goes only so far with many of them. Only seven mated pairs… nothing like what we have on our side. _

_You can somewhat see the mates in their stance, _he noted, mentally pointing out the couples to me._ This, of course, means that the loss of any one of the non-mated vampires will not cause the kind of revenge a mate might otherwise seek. Alec and Jane have a different bond altogether; if one goes down, the other will not stand for it._

"Grazie, Marco."

The crowd on the other side shifted uneasily as they heard me thanking the three gentlemen when no actual words had been spoken. Suddenly I felt a slight nudge on my mental shield, like someone taking a pin and trying to poke at it. My eyes met Jane's. The expression on her face was confident, but rapidly turned to confusion when I maintained my stance and continued to stare at her.

Then I closed my eyes and swiveled my head. "That's nice," I murmured, with my typical 'Bella-really-doesn't-think-it's-nice' voice. I opened my eyes, shook my head, and took a step forward.

The opposing side reacted instantly, murmuring and moving one foot back, most positioning themselves in a cautious defensive stance.

I slowly raised my hands, splaying them out in front of me to indicate that I meant no harm. Edward stepped forward, reaching for my hand as he took his place at my side.

"Welcome," he said. "Thank you for meeting us. I'm afraid you've come due to a great misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding? Did the Shri not call us here?" Victoria asked.

Carlisle stepped forward. "No, we did not call for you. You've come on your own. We only named the place to avoid harm to, and interference by, the humans."

"I do not know you, but I have heard of you, Carlisle Cullen… and of your coven. I have met _them_," she said, pointing at me, Edward, Rose and Emmett, "before. If only I had known the vampires who came to take their human pet out of my shop in Paris almost five years ago were part of the 'northern coven of seven'! I would have drained the girl right then and there before she could become the creature she is today." Her eyes shifted to stare at Larry, and then back at us. "I suspected Laurent's disappearance had something to do with you. You were a problem then, and are a problem now."

"We have no intent to harm you, nor do we wish to engage you in combat," Edward said.

"And yet, here you stand with scores of reinforcements," Alec said.

"As do you, Alec, but as my father," he said gesturing at Carlisle, "just noted, you came on your own, unprovoked by us. These friends have come to show their support. You have misinterpreted the Prophecy-"

"Misinterpreted?" Stefan spat. "I don't think so. Bring her out!"

Chelsea, Corin and Irina soon came running out from the woods behind them. Kate and Tanya reacted immediately.

"Irina!" Kate cried.

Irina's eyes recognized her sisters, but emotionally she seemed disconnected. It was clear that Chelsea still had her under her control.

"You," Corin said to Irina, as he pointed at me, "Did you not tell us that this one was born August 2005?"

"Yes, she was," Irina answered.

"To that coven of seven from Alaska, no?"

"Yes. The Cullens."

"She and her mate have powers, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, they are both telekinetic, and she is able to absorb and manipulate emotions like the other among them, Jasper." She looked around. "I don't see him," she said with a frown.

"What else did you tell us of her?" Stefan asked.

Irina shrugged. "She escaped death several times before she was turned by her mate, and she has a bad temper. She controls it well, but she can be quite volatile."

"Jesus, Bella's temper has nothing to do with anything!" Rosalie said.

"We care nothing about your opinion!" Victoria replied.

"Victoria…" Larry began.

Her eyes shifted to look at him. Then they narrowed. "Ne vous adressez pas à moi de cette manière, esclave-"

"No, YOU should not dare to address ME that way, Victoria!" he said, cutting her off. "I am no longer your slave. I am vampire and I am your equal." He paused. "No, that is not so. I am better than that. This family," he said gesturing to us, "and these friends," he said gesturing to Charles, Makenna and Randall, "have shown me the right way to live. Libre de tout lien… Free of bonds."

"Free of bonds? How can you say that?" Jorge sneered. "You've clearly switched off one master for another! The Prophecy says that SHE will bind us in the darkness. I will not live under her command!" The vampires behind him nodded in agreement.

I could feel my frustration building. I closed my eyes and pushed it away, wrapping it in the calm blanket so that I could maintain my shield. Opening my eyes, I said quietly, "I am not evil. I have no desire to 'bind' anyone in darkness. Remember, you came for me and not the other way around. And she," I said, pointing at Jane, "tried to attack me before we even had a chance to speak! All I ask is that you listen for a moment so that we may tell you the truth."

"How do we know that your words aren't an attempt to bind us? You have great powers!" someone called out.

Edward reached for my hand and squeezed it. "Yes, she does have powers. But what you don't realize is-"

"And the child?" another interrupted, "Did she give birth? To a female?"

My anger flared at the mere mention of Alena. Edward felt it immediately.

_Bella, Love, please work to control it._

I took a breath and pushed it back again. "That is not important," I said tersely.

"That is not a denial," the voice retorted.

"I am not evil," I repeated, trying to get them to hear me. "Please listen! You're trying to stop the Prophecy from happening… but the Prophecy stanzas have been corrupted. You're trying to destroy me and IF you succeed, you will only bring about the darkness, not prevent it. Don't act against the Prophecy; leave it be! The ancients wanted this to happen…"

"What do you know of the ancients? You're still a child!" Vladimir exclaimed.

"The ancients found me as a human and left me alive! They wanted this. They wanted me to bear my children."

There was a collective gasp. Their minds and voices bombarded us at once

_Children?_

"More than one?"

_Retains her humanity…_

_Daughters or sons? Daughter and son? How many?_

"Is the Prophecy correct?"

"She seems earnest; do you think she means what she says? No harm?"

"The ancients found her and left her alive?"

A general uneasiness grew as some of our opponents began to doubt their reasons for being there. Of course, those on the front line were not to be swayed. Vladimir spoke again.

"Do not listen to her! She lies! She is probably controlling our minds!"

This was worse than Demetri and Felix… worse than Riley and the nomads. Each time I tried to give them the correct information, and each time they were bound to their stupid beliefs! I felt the anger rising again.

_Bells, keep your cool,_ Jacob thought.

"She does not have that power," Eleazar said, stepping up and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Friends, I once believed as you did. I have since learned the truth and have come in support of this family. They did not call us here to fight, but rather to show you that we believe in the greater good, but if you escalate this, we will fight with them and for them."

"But will you win?" Chao sneered. At that moment, a stake went shooting out from among the Colombian clan. Before I could react, Edward used his telekinesis to swat it out of the way. He reached for my hand and squeezed it, willing me to hold on. Then he spoke very slowly.

"Don't escalate this. There can still be a good outcome for us all."

I could hear that Victoria, Vladimir, Stefan and many others would not be swayed. They didn't like some of the reactions that were coming from their side. With brief glances at each other, they acted on a predetermined decision and decided to provoke us.

I yelled out as soon as I heard it. "No, don't!"

It happened so quickly.

In the span of three minutes, everything went to hell.

"Release her, Chelsea," Stefan said.

Irina blinked and then saw her sisters across the field. "Tanya? Kate? How-" she began, taking a step toward them.

Suddenly a stake came through her chest, shot from another crossbow among the Colombian gang. She fell to her knees, staring at her sisters. A metal contraption went flying across the field. I saw it was a flying guillotine. I visualized crushing it in midair, and then it happened. The twisted metal fell to the ground near her.

Tanya screamed out, "Irina!"

I mentally pulled the stake out of Irina, who then gasped as she was released from her frozen posture. The next thing we knew she was writhing on the ground in agony as Jane began torturing her.

Kate ran to help Irina, followed quickly by Garrett who tried to stop her from going outside the shield. Both were halfway to Irina when Garrett caught up with Kate. Unfortunately, Garrett got tased and was convulsing on the ground as Kate scrambled onto her feet and continued toward Irina.

But it was too late. In one awful moment, it happened. Jane stopped torturing Irina and turned it on Kate. Tanya ran toward Kate, as Irina got up and moved to help her as well. Just then a stream of stakes went flying through the air.

Garrett got up and tried to run toward Kate, but Emmett ran out and pulled him back. With Garrett back in the shield, Kate stopped screaming and moved toward Jane.

I looked up and extended my hand, then mentally swatted the stakes away. They mercifully fell to the ground between the two sides.

Jane then turned her torture back on Irina, not being able to attack either Tanya or Kate. In the meantime, Alec grabbed a crossbow and aimed at Irina. Wanting to prevent her sister from any more suffering, Tanya moved to block Irina and was herself staked.

"Tanya!" Kate shouted, moving to get the stake out of her. Jake let out a loud growl.

With Kate preoccupied with Tanya, Jane stopped torturing Irina and Irina suddenly looked content. I realized with horror that Alec was numbing her for some reason, but I had little time to figure out why. Another stream of stakes went flying at us and I once again prepared to mentally block them, as I noticed Jacob shaking as he walked slowly toward his mate.

He started growing. He seemed to be stretching right in front of us. His hands got bigger, his muscles took on more definition, and his teeth and fingernails were becoming longer and sharper. Jacob had become MORE wolf.

I deflected the stakes, while Edward and Carlisle ran out to help the women, but it was too late for Irina. The fire-starter from Chao's team came and ripped off her head, then set her on fire as soon as he completed his task.

From around the field, the cacophony of howling began, mixed with Tanya's and Kate's cries of anguish at seeing their sister destroyed. The opposing side crouched low, hearing the wolves' growls echoing from the woods around them. Jane snarled in anger as she tried to turn her mental torture on the large wolf-man approaching, and it didn't work. Apparently, the wolves were also immune to her talent.

Knowing Edward and Carlisle couldn't grab Kate, I tried to extend my shield forward while I mentally grabbed Kate and pulled her back to meet them. Once she was covered, I yelled to Edward and Carlisle.

"Now, grab them!" Edward grabbed Kate, and Carlisle grabbed Tanya, pulling them back toward us.

In the meantime, Jacob's slow gait had quickened to a semi-ghost. As he moved toward them, he called out to me.

_Bells?_

I realized that if we made it out alive, powers such as Jane's and Alec's could only be harmful. Nothing good could from those two sadistic monsters.

_Yes. Do it, Jake._

And then he disappeared. The next thing we knew, he was standing in front of Jane and Alec, towering above them. He had ghosted. Jake was also now more vampire!

Jacob smiled and said, "Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name…"

He then grabbed them both, threw them across the field toward us… and ghosted back. I could hear some of our opponents deciding to make a move against Jake, so I reached down to where Kate lay, touched her and then stretched my hands out toward them, extending the invisible lighting across the field to tase them.

As they shook on the ground, we watched as Seth came tearing out of the woods and made quick work of Jane. Jacob gasped, "This is for my mate," as he bit off Alec's head.

"Jake, Seth, come back!" Edward yelled.

The murmurs from the other side grew as they registered the wolves' presence.

"She has befriended the beasts!"

"She's created an army!"

"She's wicked! She must be destroyed!"

"But what of the child? We must destroy it too!"

I could feel it building, escalating rapidly. They were getting agitated…

"I didn't start this!" I cried. "Please stop, before it's too late!"

But they were past the point of listening.

_Oh God! _

The emotions that were swirling around were overwhelming!

The awful feelings of pain and loss coming from Tanya and Kate…

The hostility I was absorbing from the opposing side...

The fear that emanated from both sides…

The dread about what might happen next…

**Pain. Loss. Hostility. Fear. Dread. **

Coming at me from everywhere!

I was absorbing… and radiating, magnifying the volatility of the situation.

I tried to pull it in, to stop radiating at them all.

**Pain. Loss. Hostility. Fear. Dread. **

I needed to stay in control…

**Pain. Loss. Hostility. Fear. Dread. **

I tried to cocoon the emotions, but with using my mental shield, opening my mind as much as possible to hear them, and staying sharp so that my telekinesis and/or power absorption could work at any moment, the cone of silence wasn't readily forthcoming.

**Pain. Loss. Hostility. Fear. Dread. **

_OH GOD, HELP ME!_

**Extreme anger.**

That one was mine.

_Hmmm..._

It felt good.

~#~#~

As we stood there in the middle of the snow, facing our enemies, my mind desperately trying to hold onto some last scraps of sanity, I was struck with the odd similarity between what was happening here and that final Star Trek: TNG episode…

THEY caused this. Their actions were pushing me toward a conclusion I'd never imagined.

I didn't want to be the Shri, and if the God-damned legend didn't exist, I'd just be Bella, a female vampire with a gorgeous husband, two beautiful children, and lots of superpowers.

But they'd come for me and my child.

They.

Started.

It.

And I was going to finish it for them.

* * *

**A/N2: Ruh roh. Supernova Bella is here at last. **

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: Thanks once again to selina972 for her help with the French phrases._


	20. Nessun Altro Giorno Come Oggi

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. 'Finale B' lyrics once again by Jonathan Larson.**

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**Chapter 20: Nessun Altro Giorno Come Oggi**

_I can't control (Will I lose my dignity?)  
My destiny (Will someone care?)  
I trust my soul (Will I wake tomorrow)  
My only goal is just to be (From this nightmare?)_

_*#*  
_

**BPOV**

They say that in the moments before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes.

Who made that up? How did they know? If they died, they weren't around to tell us about it, were they?

Before that day, I probably would have denied that theory. I mean, I'd actually died twice now and neither time did I recount my entire life as I lay in Edward's arms.

Never in my right mind would I have ever imagined that my life would indeed flash before my eyes as I stood before those who came to kill me…

… and that everyone would be witness to it.

~#~

My whole damned life I'd been a freakin' Goody Two Shoes.

_Jeez, God, haven't I been so good?_

Even after turning, my minor bouts of wickedness with my husband were just that… minor, in the grand scheme of evil in the world.

_I've been good to the extreme._

For what? For this bullshit? To have strangers come after me and my family?

Three times they'd come to attack me. Twice I'd asked them to walk away. But no one fucking listened.

_Nice gets you nowhere… _

_Nice guys finish last…_

I was through being nice.

If they wanted to provoke me, well, mission accomplished. In those few minutes, I absorbed all the negative energy swirling around me. I fed on it. I let it cover me and I used it.

_Bella, Sweetness, what-_

I took a step around Kate and Tanya and started walking toward the opposition.

_Bells, where-_

No.

I didn't want to hear it.

More stakes went flying out from the opposing side. _How many freakin' trees did they destroy to create their stupid arsenal of weapons?_ I laughed and ghosted faster than I ever had, to the fire-starter. I touched him, then used my telekinesis and struck at the stakes, lighting them in midair. I halted their movement and changed their course until a stake hovered in front of each of the leaders on the front line.

There was a collective gasp as their attention focused on the flaming stakes poised at their chests. I moved behind the fire-starter, and whispered in his ear, "You're so hot, flame-boy. I sure hope for your sake you're flame retardant," and then threw him to where Jane's and Alec's bodies lay.

I finally ghosted back toward where I had been standing, but not before stopping where he landed and using his own pyrotechnic ability against him.

"This is for Irina," I said, as I quickly snapped off his head and then lit his, and the other two bodies, on fire.

As I backed away from the small pyre, I stared at my opponents. "I find your lack of faith disturbing," I said in a strong voice.

_Ha, I sound like Darth Vader. Hmmm… Darth Bella. Interesting. I like being bad…_

A familiar voice penetrated my black thoughts. "Bella, you're radiating… No!"

_No shit, whoever you are._

_I'm a mushroom-cloud-laying motherfucker. I'm Superfly TNT. I'm the Guns of the Navarone._

_I am the star of my own musical, Eternal Love Overture. I am the Evil Woman._

_I was Elphaba, but you've made me into the Wicked Witch of the West._

_I was Jean Grey, but now I'm the Phoenix._

_I am Sylar… and I will cut your fucking heads off._

They did this to me. They did this to us.

I dropped the flaming stakes at my opponents' feet.

"Leave us alone. Leave now in peace… or stay here, in pieces."

Their hostility grew. The emotions were swirling, getting larger, building upon themselves. It was flowing into me.

**Anger. Hostility. Fear. Dread.**

I mentally visualized the positioning of all those with the crossbows and stakes and in one move, crushed the crossbows and broke the stakes in half.

"No more long-distance bullshit. You want a piece of me? Come and get me." I said in a low tone.

I heard them before they even took a fucking step.

They charged at me.

_I don't think so._

_You. Shall. Not. Pass.  
_

I laughed and threw out my hand, mentally pushing them all back. They fell down in shock and scrambled to get up.

_You had your chance. I'm done with you._

With the two most dangerous mental attackers destroyed, I let go of the shield that had been protecting… something… and turned it around. I cocooned myself and let my shield instead deflect their emotions back at them. I could almost see the shield around me, a bubble of about two feet surrounding my body.

I let my pain and anger flow through it, magnifying theirs. I pushed it out to them.

_Feel it, assholes? I hope you choke on it…_

My opponents were falling to their knees, grasping at their throats.

_This is for my children…_

~#~#~

The familiar voice once again called from the fog…

"Bella, Sweetheart, no! You're emoting. You're hurting everyone!"

I was vaguely aware of movement behind me. I turned and saw it. People… people I knew and loved, were grimacing as if in pain. And then there was Edward. It was all happening as if in slow motion and so very far away.

I could hear Edward off in the distance. I blurrily saw Eleazar mustering the strength to move. I saw Edward move toward him.

"No, Eleazar!" Edward cried as he knocked him down. They were both gasping in pain.

"She's turned dark, Edward! I must-"

"NO! It's the negative energy. She's deflecting our feelings back at us! Please let me try!" Then he ghosted away.

A moment later, I felt him. He stepped into my cocoon and grabbed me from behind. He wrapped himself around me and pinned my arms to my side.

"Sweetness, let me in," he breathed in my ear.

I couldn't understand what he meant.

_Love, please, hear me!_

**Anger. Hostility. Fear. Dread.**

_Oh, my Sweetheart, you don't know what you're doing!_

Yes I did. I was stopping those who came to destroy me.

I saw him as he moved in front of me to cup my face. I felt him.

"Bella…Baby… please!"

_What. The. Fuck?_

_BABY? _

I blinked.

"Yes, that's right, Bella. I'm here. Snap out of it. Love, come back to me!"

I instantly realized that I was losing it, losing control over myself. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt my friends and family, but it was so much bigger than I was.

"Edward," I gasped, barely able to say the words. "Run! Can't control-. Pain, Anger! Hurt you!"

"No, Love! Together, remember? I won't leave you! I love you, Bella… more than my own life."

_Edward! Help me! _

"More than my own life, Bella! I'm here!"

_Absorb. Radiate. _

_No worries! Love only! Love only!_

His eyes widened with understanding. He grabbed me and drew me in, hugging me tightly to his body.

"'Stay with me. My Love, I hope you'll always be right here by my side… if ever I need you, oh my Love…'" he whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes as he recited the first few lines of the song that he sang to me upon my first turning. Images flooded my mind as he spoke quickly and quietly.

"I was in love with you before I even knew it, Bella," he whispered in my ear. "From the moment I saw you outside of your karate class six years ago tonight, you captured my attention and ensnared my heart. Every moment since then has been so precious and has made me whole. You made me into a person… not a monster, but a person with a soul. You are my light. YOU are my soul."

_My wife… God, I love you_

_My life… God, I love you_

_My love… Yes, I love you_

He bombarded me with thoughts of him, me and us. The images flashed through my mind faster than an Alice vision:

Playing Name that Tune on my iPod

Walking me to the cab at the Formal

Ice skating on the pond

The first seduction in his bedroom

Our first time at the cabin

The long afternoon in the studio in Denali

Our trip to Paris

Our trips to Vegas

The night he first turned me

Our weddings

Our anniversary celebrations

Our trip to Santorini

Our time in San Francisco

Our children

His trigger word

My trigger word

Making love, over and over… lips and tongues and skin and hands and hair and arms and legs and cock and pussy and thrusting and hard and fast and wet and tight and moaning and groping and passion and feeling…

Him.

Me.

Us.

I let go ever so slightly and could feel the mood lighten among our friends, but it was so hard. My children? My family? Would we ever be left alone in peace? Would these enemies ever back down?

Oh, the anger! Oh, the fear!

But, oh… the LOVE he was radiating at me!

_Bella! Edward! We're here!_

Our bodies stiffened as we both gasped.

"Alice?" I cried out. "Alice!?"

_No worries, mommy! Love only! _Alena thought.

I pulled back to look at Edward. "Are they really here?" I asked him.

Suddenly, I was looking at Alice, who was somewhere off the main clearing in the woods. She was on a dirt path looking down. I realized she was talking to me through Alena, who was projecting the scene into mine and Edward's head.

_Yes, we're here Bella. Someone needs to tell you something. Edward, get Zafrina. Bella, let go of them all: Zafrina will hold them, _she said.

With my children nearby with Alice, I felt my heart soar.

"Zafrina!" Edward called out, stepping away from me slightly. "We need your help for a moment!"

I released my shield and the opposing vampires scrambled to their feet, rubbing their throats and getting ready to attack again. Then Zafrina projected darkness upon them and the group let out a collective groan.

_Go ahead, Alena,_ Alice said with a nod. Edward reached for my hand and held it in his.

_Mommy, look who we found! _Alena thought happily. Her view turned to the path ahead of her, to the dirt road. On the path, a man stood with his back to her… and, oh boy, did he look familiar. He had long dark hair and was wearing the duster coat and boots. A dog sat next to him looking up at him.

It was déjà vu all over again…

We barely registered his whisper, which, oddly, was in Italian, but I knew the words by heart, "One code… one coven."

His next words were clearer and he began to speak louder, letting his voice ring out as he slowly turned to face us. We heard him not only in our minds, but also from across the field.

"E tutto un malinteso. Devi proteggerli, Bella. Sono la luce-"

"Signor Aro," Lucien called out from somewhere near Alena, "Inglese, per favore. Not everyone understands Italian!"

Aro smiled off to the right of Alena, where Lucien must have been standing. He looked back at Alena, once again, talking to me and Edward.

"I vostri bambini sono stupefacenti. Grazie a Dio parlano italiano!" He laughed. "Oh, I did it again. I am sorry… I have been hiding out in Italy for too long.

It is all a misunderstanding. You must protect them, Bella. They… and you… are the light. Only you have the power. It was foretold…"

As everyone took in his voice from off the clearing, I realized that we looked like the prisoners in the yard in The Shawshank Redemption listening to the two ladies singing opera on the phonograph for the first time ever.

There we were, a collection of vampires, frozen in place, looking off to the East and registering the positive meaning in his message. And for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, not everyone in the field was emoting negativity toward me as dread dissipated and fear turned to wonder.

I nodded to Zafrina who released the opposing side from the darkness. They too stared in amazement as Alice and Jasper came running toward us with Alena and Lucien, followed by the two Ancients… and some other surprising guests. I could hear both sides talking amongst themselves.

"Holy shit, it really is Aro and Marcus!"

"Look, she had two children, a boy and a girl. They're so big!"

"Daughter and son!"

"Wait a second… the other three vampires – I've seen them before. Ward vampires actually left Ward?"

I was just as dumbfounded as the rest of them. Following closely behind Aro and Marcus were three vampires who had indeed stepped out of their familiar environment to be on the field that day: Fuzzy, Ward's sheriff; Buck, a fiddle player from the Millsite; and Rebecca, the horse rancher and breakfast server at Gold Lake Resort. Bringing up the rear was Aro's dog. They all made their way toward us.

Marcus winked at me as he walked by.

"Bella, è bello vederti di nuovo."

_It is nice to see me again? Winking?? What the fuck… were we friends??? _

We swept the kids up in our arms and hugged them tightly. I was still shaking as I tried to recover from my emotional loss of control. We looked at Alice and Jasper.

"Sorry we're late," Jasper said, rolling his eyes. "Aro wanted to make a big entrance."

"A big entrance?" I sputtered. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" I spat, looking at Aro. "I was about to kill everyone!"

He blinked and then looked back at Jasper and Alice. "She really does have a bit of a temper, no?"

They nodded. Then I felt Jasper's calming waves pour over me. It was such a relief.

_Thank you, Jasper._

Aro looked back at me and smiled. "Bella donna, we knew we would get here in time. Alice made sure of that. Besides," he said with a shrug, "how often do I come out of hiding? So I figured I would make a grand entrance. It was my big chance. Se non ora, quando?"

Edward and I looked at each other. _A grand entrance?_ _Holy schmoly! This guy has developed quite the ego over his hundreds of years on this earth!_ I thought.

I decided to let it go for the moment as we hugged the children more closely.

"Oh my babies! You've gotten so big! I can't call you my babies anymore," I whispered.

"You two look like you're at least seven now," Edward said with a smile. The twins looked at each other and nodded proudly.

"I missed you so much," I said to them. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Mommy," Lucien said, "we got you the best help, right? No worries anymore. Love only."

"Give in to love, Mommy, or live in fear," Alena added. She grinned. "Did you know Signor Aro helped write 'Rent'?"

_Um, what?_ I thought.

Edward looked at me._ Okay, Love, I'm with you now. This guy has some ego. Wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning 'Rent'? Suuure he did._

"Tsk, tsk…" Aro said, shaking his head as he looked at us. "I see the doubt in your eyes. It is true. I am a patron of the arts. I knew Mr. Larson was very talented. At one point he was trying to write and got stuck. I followed him one night and sang in his ear when he was sleeping, much like on my visit to your Ward bedroom," he said with a wink. Then he shrugged. "Who knew that he knew Italian?"

Then he looked around the field at the two-hundred fifty-plus vampires and twenty-one wolves and beamed at the crowd.

"But what a fitting song for what we have come here to do today," he said. "C'è solo ora…"

"Signor Aro, Inglese!" Lucien chastised.

"They will translate," Aro said, gesturing about the field. He began again. "C'è solo ora, c'è solo qui…"

"There's only now, there's only here…" Edward said, looking at me, his eyes shining with love.

Aro nodded. "Abbandonati all'amore, oppure vivi nel terrore…"

"Give in to love, or live in fear…" Marco stated.

"Non c'è altra strada…" Aro continued.

"No other path," Serena murmured, reaching for Marco's hand.

"Non c'è altro modo…"

"No other way," one of the opposing Volterra vamps said incredulously.

"Nessun altro giorno come oggi!" Alena and Lucien finished.

Aro once again looked around at the collection of vampires gathered on both sides.

"No day but today," he said softly.

~#~#~

As the collective gathering took in his words of hope, some of the leaders from the opposition were a little annoyed. Sensing they were losing the battle, they decided to take one last shot.

"How sentimental," Vladimir sneered. "All this 'love' talk is making me ill. The fact remains that this woman just tried to kill us all. Her beasts killed two of our own, and then her ally bound us in darkness. If that is not a sign of the Prophecy coming true, I do not know what is!"

Marcus looked at Vladimir. "You are correct. You do not know what is. She-"

Stefan cut him off. "She is evil and her offspring will bring doom to us all." He looked around at his allies. "Don't you see? She would destroy us. We must stop her!"

Aro took a step toward them. "Did you not amass to attack her and kill her children? Would any one of you stand by if a mob this large came to destroy you and your loved ones? Besides, you have misinterpreted the Prophecy. We are here to-"

Vladimir took a step forward as well. "Why should we listen to you? Because you are supposedly the creators of the Prophecy? What proof do we have of that?"

Oh God, the hatred and evil and lies pouring out of these two vampires. They were stirring things up again. Both sides were getting agitated. I wanted to lunge at them and rip their beady little heads off their puny bodies.

_Bella! _Jasper thought, sending calming waves at me. _Calm yourself, please. There are too many here for me to control…_

_We can help, Uncle Jasper_, Lucien thought and before anyone registered their actions, Alena reached out and touched both me and Jasper. She nodded at Luc.

"As you wish, Alena," he said with a grin as he radiated calming thoughts, magnifying my radiation and Jasper's emotion manipulation and sending it everywhere. A feeling of joy, Lucien's and Alena's joy, touched everyone in the field.

There was almost a sense of giddiness throughout the field. Victoria's eyes were wide as she took in the situation. "Is it really possible that they mean us no harm?"

Jorge cocked his head in amazement as well, "Why are we here, then, if not to stop the Shri? What of the Prophecy? If there is no evil-"

Stefan stared, fighting the calming waves. He laughed, despite himself, and managed to continue his attempt at division. "Falsehoods and lies…" he began.

Marcus's smiling eyes narrowed as he turned once again to stare at Vladimir and Stefan. Not looking away, he said, "Lucien, hold for a moment." The calming waves stopped. Thankfully, the hostility now only emanated from the two short rat bastards trying to stir up trouble.

Marcus stepped forward fearlessly, unconcerned about any attacks. He pointed at the two pale and elder vampires and said with a sneer, "You two, out of anyone, should be careful with your lies."

He took another step forward and they took a step back, fear evident on their faces despite the fact that Marcus was still thirty feet away from them.

Suddenly, Marcus was in front of them. He towered over these two diminutive vamps, so he grabbed them by their faces and lifted them both off the ground to bring them to his eye level.

"Do not think we do not know that YOU orchestrated the coven wars so that you could rise to power. The reason you lost was because even though you managed to get Ubricius and Caius killed, Aro and I survived. As your sire, you will always be subordinate to me." He dropped them back to their feet. "Sono vostro padre! So do not even think of denying who we are."

The crowd mumbled and looked at Marcus and he stepped back to look around. "We are essentially your beginning. We created many of those who created you. I think that affords us some God-damned respect!" he boomed. "At least you owe us the respect to listen and learn the truth!"

He spun on his heels and walked back over to Aro. His eyes softened as he looked at Edward and me, and then at Alena and Lucien. He nodded at Aro, who then smiled widely and said to the crowd, "Say hello to my little friends," before he turned to touch the twins on their foreheads.

"Andate avanti, bambini," he said, softly.

Alena and Lucien grinned and then they positioned themselves, with Lucien staring at both Marcus and Aro, and Alena looking down at her feet, grounding herself. I quickly took in Lucien's thoughts and realized he was reading both Marcus and Aro at the same time. Then there was a collective gasp as Alena projected the images she was getting from Lucien to EVERYONE. Alice was correct… we had only witnessed the beginning of their talents.

After the shock of the initial intrusion, the crowd quickly settled down and watched the scene unfold, many with undisguised curiosity and awe. Lucien picked up the images as if watching from Marcus' and Aro's points of view and Alena projected the scenes outward. As the men spoke Italian, Luc and 'Lena carefully translated so that everyone in the field could understand…

~#~#~

Firenze, Italia 1405 A.D.

Aro walked into the room, took off his cloak, and hung it on the wall. Then he turned to look at the other three gentlemen in the room.

"The stars are aligned again. They are telling."

"I have seen it too," said Ubricius.

"All portents point to the same conclusion. You cannot deny it any longer, Caius." Aro said.

Ubricius' eyes became unfocused. "I see her. Ah, so lovely." Then he frowned. "But she is dressed so strangely, like a man. The garments are so… well, unladylike. Too close to her body."

Aro smiled. "That is the distant future you see."

"Why can I not see her clearly?" Caius growled. "She fades in and out of my visions."

"My friend, you know your visions are limited only to the bad, the negative. She is not," Ubricius answered.

"What a stupid talent," Caius muttered.

"Your visions balance off those of Ubricius," Aro said. "He sees the positive, you see the negative and together we have a little protection."

"A talented vampire such as she would be perceived as a threat to others. I should see something of that."

"Caius, she is as clear as day in my mind," Ubricius said. "Look."

Ubricius projected his thoughts to the others. They saw a young woman with long dark hair, black pants, and a purple turtleneck sweater with a sack on her back, walking down a street, her head down.

Marcus gasped. "That is a human, not a vampire, and I see no bonds there."

"She will be one of us," Aro said confidently.

Ubricius nodded. "She will. Look at her," he said, his voice soft. "That one is born to be one of us, and she will do what no other has done before."

"That will never happen. The covens will never unite," Marcus said, shaking his head.

"Ah! There she is," Caius said, his eyes unfocused. Aro touched his hand to read his mind. The woman was standing in a snowy field.

"A coven war!"

"The same one that you have already foreseen?" Marcus asked.

"No, she is not alive in that one," Caius responded. "This is far off, another one in the future."

"Interesting," Ubricius said. "You see her in your vision, yet I still see her in mine." He smiled. "So lovely. As she enters her third decade, her blood will come alive."

"How do we keep her safe so that she fulfills her destiny?" Caius asked. "Her blood will attract."

"The oracle stones tell me she befriends the beasts. They will watch over her, and then she will meet her mate." Aro answered.

"The mate I cannot see yet, but I see a large coven. Seven of them, in a cold place. An uneven number. One will be her mate." Ubricius said, projecting his vision again to the rest.

"Ah, I see the bonds now," Marcus exclaimed. "But this is odd. There are multiple auras."

Aro touched his hand and then laughed. They looked at him. "Never wager against the oracle stones. The bonds you see are those of her mate… and her offspring. It is fate."

"Offspring? As a vampire?" Marcus asked.

"She retains her humanity. She is special." Ubricius said, his voice betraying a bit of love for the girl in his vision.

"But do you really believe she will be able to do it?" Caius asked, looking at Ubricius and Aro.

Ubricius nodded, closed his eyes and spoke.

"Five and one hundred score years  
Ides of month eight pass  
Bring to light immortal fears  
A wealth of powers amass."

He opened one eye and peeked at Aro. Aro smiled and nodded. "That is good. I like it."

Caius joined hands with Ubricius and continued.

"A northern coven of seven  
A powerful immortal is born  
Bring forth either hell or heaven  
The dark world will be torn."

"Must you be so negative, Caius?" Aro sighed, shaking his head.

"I say what I see!" Caius responded.

Marcus stepped forward and entered the ring, joining hands with Ubricius and Caius.

"Two, together as one  
Talents possessed so great  
Impossibility, daughter and son  
A blessing to the coven of eight."

Aro stepped forward and joined hands with Marcus and Ubricius, closing the circle.

"One code to rule them all  
One coven to hide them  
One family to bring them all  
And into the new light guide them."

~#~#~

The vision ended. The vampires and wolves in the field stood frozen in amazement and wonder. Finally the silence was broken.

"What does that last part mean, Aro?" I asked.

He touched my face gently. "You have united us."

Emmett threw his hands up in the air. "HA! I was right! King of the field!" he exclaimed.

I did a double-take to Emmett, and then turned back to Aro.

"What? That can't be it… after all this," I said, gesturing at everyone.

He winked at me and his smile was triumphant. "You are correct, bella donna. You, and they," he said, looking at the twins and the whole Cullen family, "bring us to the light at last."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks, as always, to the lovely Irritable Grizzzly. And big ole thanks to the wonderful Camilla10 once again for her Italian translations.**

**Please review.**

_Post A/N: Here are the phrases I didn't translate for you…_

_I vostri bambini sono stupefacenti. (Your children are amazing.)  
Grazie a Dio parlano italiano! (Thank God they speak Italian!)  
Sono vostro padre. (Luke, I am your father… okay, not really Luke, but it does mean, I am your father.)  
bella donna (beautiful woman)  
Se non ora, quando? (If not now, when?)  
Andate avanti, bambini (Go ahead, kids.)  
_

_Also, to clarify:_

_Elphaba – the name of the Wicked Witch of the West in the book and the play 'Wicked'._

_Sylar-a bad-ass character on the TV-show, Heroes._

_Mushroom cloud, Superfly TNT, Guns of the Navarone comments courtesy of Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction._

_And finally: Follow You, Follow Me lyrics by... ah, you know. If you haven't caught on to my love for the wonderful works o' Genesis by now, um, go back and start reading An American Vampire in Chicago again. _


	21. The End

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE.  
**

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Chapter 21: The End**

**EPOV**

I was never much into the Beatles before I met Bella. I preferred fifties music over the so-so sixties, the horrid seventies and the passable eighties. So it was quite ironic that a woman who wasn't alive when the Beatles were actually producing songs taught me to appreciate their music.

Bella's favorite Beatles album was Abbey Road, which I found odd at first, considering that it was "I Am the Walrus" from Magical Mystery Tour, which launched her choreography career. Over time, I came to realize that it was due to the medley of songs that occurred on the back half of the album. As I learned early on in our relationship, Bella loved the live albums of her favorite groups _because_ of the medleys, which took the best of several compositions, blended them seamlessly together and created new out of old.

One of the things I discovered I liked best about Abbey Road, aside from its well-known album cover, was song number sixteen: "The End". It was a typical sixties rock-era song, with the wailing electric guitar, Paul repetitively shouting out 'all right', and a drum solo by Ringo that abruptly transitioned to a softer conclusion. It ended with the music picking up some of the gentle strains of "Golden Slumbers" two songs before the medley completed with the famous Beatles harmonizing vocals. The perfect ending.

Or it would have been, if there wasn't a seventeenth song.

Because the sound engineer was instructed never to throw anything out, the album ends with about twenty seconds of fluff called "Her Majesty"… which sours the album just a little, in my humble opinion.

So why was this little set of useless Beatles factoids floating around my vampire brain that day?

Partially because of the random thought I picked up passing through _her_ vampire brain when Aro told her of her importance.

And partially because, despite the fact that I so desperately wanted to close the book on this chapter and say 'The End', as we concluded our business that afternoon in the field and later on at the studio, I realized that this was far from over.

There was so much more to come.

A lot more than twenty seconds worth of fluff.

~#~

_Wow, _she thought._ Come together. Right now. Over me._

Despite the tension and anxiety we'd just experienced, I could feel my lips curling up into a small smile as I took in the typical 'out-of-left-field' Bella thought.

_Really, Bella? Abbey Road? Now?_

"Wait, what do you mean they'll bring us to the light?" one of the opposing New Zealand vamps asked. Other vampires on both sides indicated similar puzzlement at the statement.

I noticed the briefest shimmer in Aro's thoughts at that question and then his mind became guarded. I realized that Aro was holding something back… something that probably wasn't yet for public consumption. As he was likely unsure of the general talents of the vampires that surrounded him, he seemed to be blocking those thoughts. I cocked my head slightly and he noticed it. His eyes quickly shifted to meet my gaze and then he looked back at the crowd.

"Also, that last stanza was nothing like the version I know," Charles said. Several more vampires acknowledged likewise.

"Christ, Charles, how many times do we have to go through this? The Rings trilogy screwed everything up!" Makenna hissed.

"God-damned authors taking liberties with poems and prophecies. He's just lucky he died before I could get my hands on him," Marcus muttered. "Look at the panic he created. Fucking Tolkien!" Marcus's eyes shifted and met Alena's and Lucien's stares. "Scusatemi, bambini."

"It's okay," Alena said. "We hear it a lot," Lucien responded, pointing at me and Bella.

"Why wasn't it written down?" Serena asked. "Couldn't we have avoided all of this if we had a documented record of the true prophecy?"

Aro smiled gently. "Ah, _could_ we have avoided this?" He nodded at Luc and 'Lena. "Bambini…"

~#~#~

Firenze, Italia 1405 A.D.

Aro let go of his companions' hands and moved to the side table to grab some parchment paper, a quill and a jar of ink and sat down at the desk.

He dipped the quill in the ink. "Who do we tell? This must be handled carefully."

"It is too far off," Caius responded.

Aro's head snapped up. His expression was one of surprise. Caius continued.

"I would not say anything just yet. If the signs are correct-"

"The signs are correct," Aro said flatly.

"… this is hundreds of years away. Brothers, you are in my realm now," Caius said. "The mere legend of this woman…"

"'Shri'," Ubricius interjected.

"'Shri'?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, Shri. It… it is what I call her," Ubricius responded. "The name means good things, such as light, beauty, and prosperity."

"My God, listen to you. You are in love with her already. You have a _long_ time to wait to meet your ideal woman, Ubricius," Marcus teased.

"As I was saying," Caius said loudly, trying to get the conversation back on course, "the mere legend of… Shri, with all her talents, could incite fear among the covens. No one believes that one with such power could be benign. Power tends to corrupt…"

"No," Ubricius stated, "That is why she is different. Her power will mean nothing to her, other than as a defense when threatened."

Caius cocked his head. "So sure, are you?"

"Yes."

Caius offered a small smile. "Good," he said softly. Then his toned changed. "However, you, and we, will be holding on to the less popular of the theories. The others will have a hard time believing without proof, and since her time is far off, there will be no proof." Caius looked around at the others. "Brothers, I believe that this is not a matter of when we should tell, but rather _if_ we should tell."

"What are you saying? Are you counseling me not to write it?" Aro asked.

"Writing it could be dangerous. We cannot let it get in the hands of humans, obviously: they would misinterpret it. Even among our own kind, we must be cautious."

"She is hope! She is light! Why not let others share in our vision of this future? Convey it verbally, perhaps? To trusted friends and colleagues?" Ubricius asked.

"Perhaps. You know how some of the coven leaders will react. It will appear as if we are delivering law. Those who fear we want to rule them will twist it to say we're power hungry. Others are paralyzed by fear of disobedience."

"Fear, fear, fear…" Marcus muttered.

Caius was still, his eyes unfocused. After a moment, he inhaled sharply and held it. His eyes refocused just before he closed them, exhaling as he put his head down.

"A new vision, Caius?" Aro moved to touch Caius's hand. His face became troubled and then sad.

"We will not all last to see this through," he said quietly.

Ubricius and Marcus looked at each other, and then back at Caius and Aro.

"Who?" Ubricius whispered.

"Unclear…"

~#~

Firenze, Italia 1705 A.D.

"Is there no stopping this?" Aro asked.

Caius shook his head. "It has already begun."

Marcus exploded. "God damned Stefan and Vladimir! Who told them? Clearly they tricked someone into telling them."

"At this point who told them is irrelevant. The damage is done," Ubricius sighed, his head turned downward, as he stared at his hands in his lap.

Aro whipped around and pointed at Caius. "We should have written it as originally planned."

"No, Aro. You know I ran through all permutations on this. It would have happened sooner and none of us would have survived. Now, at least two go on to ensure the future."

Caius looked at Ubricius and, in an uncharacteristically tender gesture, reached out to touch his shoulder. Ubricius's shocked face looked up at Caius and then it became peaceful. He nodded.

Turning to Marcus, he asked sadly, "Was there any chance that had this not happened, she could have been MY mate?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ah, the point is moot," he said with a sigh. He opened his eyes and he looked up at Aro and Marcus. "I can die pretending I put my life on the line to save her."

"There is no pretense there, my friend. You will die to save her." Caius clapped Marcus and Aro on their shoulders and moved to a doorway with a curtain. Reaching behind the curtain, he pulled out two small satchels and handed them to his friends. "Go now." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a rolled up piece of leather; it was clear that it contained a piece of parchment. "I wrote it and put my seal on it. Keep it with you. Hide it. Never let it out of your sight."

Ubricius's face went blank for a moment, and then he smiled. "Ah, this will happen now for certain."

He projected his vision to the others. The dark-haired woman stood in the snow with a bronze-haired companion at her side amidst a gathering of hundreds of vampires. Two small children were with them… as were Aro and Marcus.

Ubricius's face was a mixture of sadness and peace as he stood and embraced Marcus and Aro. "Goodbye, my friends. Take care of la bella donna; keep her safe for me…"

~#~#~

_Jesus, Bella, you're too attractive for your own good. You had men in love with you even before you were born!_ I thought, kissing her on her forehead. She looked at me and rolled her eyes.

_One ancient, Edward. Don't go overboard and exaggerate!_

Aro reached into the inside pocket of his duster coat and pulled out the leather roll that Caius had given him. "Friends, acquaintances, and hopefully soon to be enemies of the past," Aro began, "as you can see from our memories, the message was always about unity. We have spent far too many years waiting for this moment and keeping Bella alive to allow you to destroy it."

"Keeping her alive?" I asked.

"We were watching her long before you were, Edward," Aro said with a wink.

Fuzzy looked over at Lucien. "I think you also need to tap into my head for the next part, kiddo…"

~#~#~

Ward, CO, Feb 2003

A quick knock was heard at the cabin door right before it opened. The large Paul Bunyan-sized man stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, stomping the snow off his boots. He turned to look at the two men.

"Did you see her? She's back again."

"Yes," Aro said with a smile. "We have seen her, Robert."

"Jesus, Aro, is it that hard to call me what everyone else does? It's Fuzzy." He shook his head. "Anyway, what the hell?! Is this girl _trying_ to die?"

Aro's face hardened instantly. "Who would dare touch her?"

Fuzzy held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "No one. They know... and you know they can't anyway, but why does she keep coming back?"

Aro's demeanor softened. "She is drawn to us. Ubricius said it six-hundred years ago. That one was born to be one of us and is clearly comfortable with us."

"She was damn lucky I was wearing the sword that first year," Marcus muttered. "When I told them not to touch her, they knew I meant it."

"It was not luck, Marcus. It was fate," Aro smiled widely. "I am going to talk to her tonight when she is asleep," he said excitedly.

"You know, I think you may be a little in love with her yourself. If it were not for the fact that I cannot see the bonds, I might think she was destined to be yours." He paused, "She is still mateless."

Fuzzy cocked his head. "What about the one that Embry says she hangs around with? The one they work with? He seems to think she's quite attached to him."

"Yes. I have heard his report." Marcus said with a frown. "That one is just a passing dalliance for her. He has no intentions toward her right now; he is just a typical wolf, trying to mark his territory. I see no real attachments on her aura yet."

"It has yet to happen," Aro said confidently.

Fuzzy gaped. "We're two and a half years from the time forecasted by your prophecy. Do you understand human mating? Human bonding moves at a glacial pace; they don't just meet and marry like they did in your day. They date, they screw, they live together, and they plan weddings for months, sometimes for years." Aro and Marcus looked at him curiously. "Jesse does the wedding coordination at Gold Lake," he said with a shrug. He shook his head. Then he looked back at Marcus. "Do we at least know who? A Northern coven. Where-"

"I am starting to believe it may be the one in Alaska," Marcus said.

"Carlisle Cullen's coven? But there are only six, all mated," Fuzzy said.

"There is a seventh… he lives apart from them every few years. The mind reader…"

"That would be ironic," Aro said with a smirk. "The mind reader mates with a shield." He paused. "But…"

"But what?"

"That one? I have heard of him. He has, or rather – had, quite the reputation as a ladies' man. I had never gotten the sense that he would settle."

Marcus smiled and stood up, moving to the window. He pulled back the curtain and gestured out into the distance at the frozen lake.

"He has yet to meet the right woman…"

The other two joined him at the window. Two dark-haired women were there by the lake. With their vampire hearing and eyesight, they could watch the women from this distance.

The two stood bundled up in their coats, hats and gloves, their backs to the three vampires. The wind was whipping around them, causing snow to fall off the tree branches.

"Okay, are you ready?" one asked.

"Yes," the other responded. They threw their arms up in the air, stretched over their heads.

"We summon the wind!" the second woman said in a strong, clear voice as the first one snapped a photo of the ground with the camera that was in her right outstretched hand. The wind continued to swirl snow all around them.

Lowering their arms, they laughed. Then they put their heads together to look at the photo the first had taken.

"Oooh, Angela, you have to give me a copy of that one. It's a great photo of us and this place."

"Yeah, it's just our shadows but you can see the snow swirling. I'm such an artsy photographer!" Angela said proudly. She bent down to get her camera bag. "Okay, I'm going in to clean up before dinner. You comin' in, Bella?"

Bella moved over to sit on the nearby log and started removing her shoes. "Nah, I want to skate just a little more. Take your time in the shower. I'll probably play on the ice for another twenty minutes or so."

Angela made her way up the path toward the main lodge, while Bella finished lacing her skates, put her iPod earbuds in her ears and stepped out on the ice. The wind was strong and pushed her small frame. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright and shining as she skated to some unknown tune. She then lowered herself to the ice and lay on her back. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Then she just smiled.

~#~#~

I marveled at the scenes that Alena was projecting into our heads. There was my Bella, just nine months before I met her… on the night 'the ghost' made himself known.

I grimaced when they broadcasted my bad-boy past to the entire field. I held back my growl at the mention of her past involvement with Jacob. I really had to restrain myself when Marcus hinted that Aro could be her mate.

_Mine, dammit._

Bella turned and looked at me, then touched my face. She smirked. _Yours… Casanova._

I caught Aro's thoughts taking our actions in and looked over Bella's shoulder at him. His hand twitched and he clearly wanted so desperately to touch our hands to take in our thoughts. He held back. Then he looked down at the kids.

"One last time," he said, gesturing at Buck, Fuzzy and Rebecca.

~#~#~

Ward, CO, Oct 2009

The sound of bluegrass swirled around the deserted center of town. Rebecca was ghosting by the general store when Buck called out.

"Becks! Where are you off to?"

She stopped and ghosted back to stand in front of the man with the fiddle and bow in his hand.

"I'm needed down at Gold Lake. Some humans want to go horseback riding."

"Now? It will be twilight as you finish up the ride."

"I'll have them back before it gets too late, but if I'm not back by dark, make sure they know." She shook her head. "I can't wait until Gold Lake's winter hours begin and they're closed three days a week. These human tourists drive me crazy."

"Well you're the one who chooses to work there! You could just hang out down here until dark like the rest of us," Buck said.

"I like taking care of the horses," she responded simply.

"Excuse me," a light voice rang out.

Buck and Rebecca turned to see a strange sight that seemed to have come out of nowhere. A small dark-haired young woman and a tall blond man stood about ten feet away. Vampires. At their sides were two small children.

"We were wondering if you could help us," the small woman continued. "I'm Alice, this is my husband Jasper and, this is Lucien and Alena. We're looking for two men."

Buck and Rebecca were mesmerized at the sight of the two children, seemingly unafraid of their vampire companions.

_Why do they have human children?_ Rebecca wondered.

"We're not human. We're halflings," Lucien said.

"What? How did-" Rebecca started to ask. Then she realized that another had joined them. She turned to look at him.

Fuzzy stood motionless in the street, about eight feet from Buck. His eyes scanned the odd foursome and then stopped when he took in the little girl.

"Well, I'll be damned…" He looked at Alice and Jasper. "It's happening, isn't it?"

They nodded. "Are they here? We need their help," Jasper said.

Fuzzy's eyes once again took in Alena. She smiled sweetly at him. He smiled back at her. "Spitting image of her… I never really believed it until now."

"Wait, that is not… Bella's child, is it?" Rebecca asked.

"We both are," Alena said.

"So she is still human?"

"No. She was part vampire when she had them," Jasper said quietly.

"Ho-ly shit," Buck whispered. "Jesus, Fuzzy, you gotta get in touch with them."

"I know." He held out a finger to the Cullens. "Give me five minutes. I'll get my things and tell my deputy that we're heading out."

"Where are we going?" Alice asked.

"Iceland first, to find Marcus. Then Florence for Aro, I think," he said. Then he shook his head. "Those damned Ancients don't like phones," he grumbled, spinning on his heel and taking off down the road.

~#~#~

Aro leaned down to look at Alena and Lucien. "Well done, bambini," he said, lightly pinching their cheeks as they grinned at him. Then he stood and looked around at the group.

"My friends, we have been watching Bella for years. We have been waiting for this moment. It has happened as was foretold. For some of you, it was your love for this woman and her family that brought you here. For others, it was your fear. We now ask for your faith. The covens – clans – must stop fighting. It is time for unity. No other path… no other way.

We have evolved so much since we were created. Our blood bank network sustains us. Many of us run respectable businesses, mingling with humans. We live a civilized life. There is no reason to fear us in the way they once did.

For those of you who are nomads, you have nothing to fear. Your way of life can continue as there is nothing that gives you away as vampires, but I know that many of the rest of you, like us, are tired of living in the shadows. Of never being able to admit what we are. We do not need to live like that any longer, in the darkness to the light of the human world. A change is possible."

There were murmurs all around as the group took in the meaning of his words.

Finally, it was the half-vamp/half-wolf who spoke.

"Wait," Jacob said. "Are you saying that vampires are going to 'come out' to humans?"

Aro's smiled and he nodded once in a bow-like gesture.

The general reaction on the field was incredulity. "What makes you think humans will ever be enlightened enough to accept us for what we are?" Victoria asked.

"Because those four," he said gesturing toward Bella, me and the kids, "are going to save them."

~#~

The answer to the whole mystery had been with us all along.

Bella's blood, which never fully changed to ours, was the key.

_Retains her humanity…_

Aro explained that in the future, the spread of cancer and AIDS would increase exponentially and likely wipe out hundreds of millions around the world. While a thinning out of the humans was necessary for the natural order of human evolution, the devastation did not need to be as great.

This is where we came in. My background in hematology and the genetic make-up of Bella's, Lucien's and Alena's blood would eventually produce a cure for cancer and AIDS.

"When our kind steps in to save their kind, it opens a new chapter for us. Think of it as 'first contact'." Aro said.

"Oh no, you do NOT watch Star Trek," Bella said, her eyes wide.

"You can learn a lot about human nature from those shows," Marcus said with a shrug. "Our coming out will unite humanity in a way that could never have been imagined. Disease, war, poverty, all will eventually become things of the past because we will help them see a new day."

"Friends, this is not happening tomorrow, or even next year. The blood research will take years," Aro said. "Moreover, it will require careful planning and execution on our parts to do this the right way. To ensure that WE will not be harmed by the petty whims or unfounded fears of any rebellious humans, but I am certain that it can be done if we just band together."

Alice's eyes were unfocused as a new vision came upon her. Bella and I took it in with her as the images flashed by. Me in the research lab with Carlisle, Larry and an adult Lucien, and various members of the clans getting together to coordinate on security, moral and ethical governance, communications.

Her eyes focused again and met ours. She was beaming. "The vision is clear. You're going to do it… We're going to work together. It will be a brand new world!" Her smile was beatific as she radiated happiness.

Lucien stepped up and reached out to touch Alice and Bella. He nodded at Alena.

"As you wish, Lukey," Alena said.

A feeling of joy and hope radiated across the field.

**Joy and hope.**

~#~

The visitors eventually left later that day. Fuzzy gathered the clan leaders and had them take an oath to at least attend the first planning meeting in Ward in January. Even Vladimir and Stefan took the oath. Jasper gauged their honesty and I took in their thoughts as they stepped up to pledge support. They were in. Many of the nomads even agreed to attend.

While the visitors had evacuated the area, Aro wanted to keep the remainder of whatever he had to say to us private. To ensure that outcome, we gathered in the soundproof surveillance room.

"Why Ward?" Bella asked, once we were settled in.

"Why not? It is the safest place to meet. No human but you ever came back regularly during the winter time," Fuzzy said. "Besides, it helps to be on my turf. I've got skills too, Bella baby," he said with a wink.

Bella's eyes opened wide.

I growled.

"Baby? Are you calling my wife 'baby'?"

"Oh, calm down," Fuzzy said, rolling his eyes. "I knew this girl way before you did and she's here today partially because of me."

Aro stepped forward and reached for Bella's hand. Holding it between his two hands, he said, "Robert is…"

"Jesus, Aro, it's Fuzzy! Fuzzy!" the large man said, exasperatedly. "I'm a cop. The fuzz. How hard is this to get?"

"I do not like the name," he answered with a shrug. "As I was saying, HE," Aro said, gesturing at Fuzzy, "is an oath keeper. If you promise something to him, you are bound to the oath. You are incapable of breaking it unless he releases you from the promise." Aro looked at Bella with curiosity.

I looked at Bella's hand in Aro's and could hear him desperately wanting to read her mind.

I huffed. "Really, Aro, why-" but Aro cut me off.

"So, this is your natural state?" he asked her. "You are not blocking me on purpose?"

Bella looked a little uncomfortable as she shook her head. "Then it's true about you?" she asked softly. "You're able to read every memory or thought by touch?"

He nodded and bowed down to kiss the knuckles on her hand. "Si."

Bella slipped her hand out of Aro's. "Yeah, uh, we'll just wave to each other from now on."

"Oh, my dear Bella," he said with a chuckle. "Sapevo che eri tu, quella." Then he looked through the mirror out into the studio and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, this is where you first were turned!"

Bella looked puzzled. "I saw it in Alice's and Jasper's memories," Aro explained. He winked at her. "I already know a lot about you… and him," he said, nodding his head in my direction, "from them. So you see, if you lift your shield, you will not shock me. Will you please show me?"

"What are you trying to see?" she asked.

I was surprised to hear what he wanted. His eyes were soft. "Do you remember me?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I remember you clearly. Let ME show you," She looked at Lucien and Alena. "Kids, will you help your mom show Aro?"

The kids grinned and then projected Bella's thoughts into everyone's head. We watched in fascination as Bella's mind remembered her many human visits to Ward, including her encounter with Marcus at the Millsite, seeing Aro and his dog walking down the dark dirt road, and her memories of the ghost speaking to her. Fuzzy, Rebecca and Buck were surprised to see themselves in her memories as well; moreover, they seemed touched that Bella's memories of Ward, and of them, were clearly viewed with fondness by the powerful woman who stood in front of them.

As the images ended, Aro sighed and looked at me. "Ubricius would have given you a run for your money vying for this lovely woman's attentions." _I might have tried as well,_ he thought.

My eyes narrowed and I held back a growl as Marcus interjected. He looked at Aro with amusement, knowing exactly what Aro was thinking.

"Aro, you know very well that neither he nor you were meant to be her mate. This is the bond that was foretold."

Aro sighed again and said, "You are a very lucky man," as he reached out to shake my hand.

Bella stepped up and grabbed Aro's hand before he could reach mine. "You can just wave at Edward as well. He accepts your well wishes."

Aro smiled and winked at me. "I had to try," he said with a shrug as he turned his back to me and looked out at the studio again.

I cleared my throat and tried to get us back on track. "So, gentlemen, what were you holding back? What else do we need to know about the Prophecy?"

Aro and Marcus looked at each other. Marcus raised an eyebrow and nodded at Aro.

"You see? Well-matched, well-mated," he said. Then he looked around at the gathering in the room. Aside from our Cullen clan, Eleazar and Larry were with us. Kate, Garrett, Tanya, Jacob, Seth and Carmen were in the main house still grieving over Irina.

"Please speak freely," Carlisle said gently, "They are part of our family too." Larry looked surprised to hear this and he seemed genuinely touched.

Aro turned and looked out at the studio once again. The room was still as he finally spoke. "Ubricius believed that the visions of Bella and her children were not merely about the unity of the vampire race. He believed that bringing us 'to the light' meant that there could be a fundamental change."

He turned to look at Bella and the kids. "It may be that your blood holds the cure for some of us as well."

"What?" Bella whispered.

"In your research to help the humans, you may also end up helping us. While it may not work for everyone, your blood may turn some of us back into humans."

"Is that really possible?" Rosalie asked. "Alice? Can you see anything?"

Bella stepped over to join hands with Alice and the two began to push forward on this possibility. "It's… it's not clear," Alice said. "I can see that you're going to work on it."

"There will be some interesting issues associated with it," Bella said. "Will the 'cure' turn someone back into a human such that their life would just end since their body has been dead for so long? Will it work for everyone? What if one in a mated pair can be turned back but the other cannot?"

Alice nodded. "How will the vampires react? It would need to be handled very carefully so that no one perceived that a 'cure' meant that vampirism was a disease meant to be solved. Many vampires like being vampires and living through the changing eras."

"I, for one, might volunteer to be one of your first test subjects," Marcus said looking at Aro. "I think my work is finally done. I've lived long enough. If there was a chance to only live another fifty to sixty years and then be done, I'd take it."

The room was quiet as everyone processed whether they'd take the 'cure' if they had the opportunity. Finally, Alice broke the silence.

"This, like the vaccines for cancer and AIDS, won't happen tomorrow. We're at least a decade away," she said. Then she smiled. "But the overall outcome will be a good one, no matter what happens with the 'cure'."

~#~

Aro, Marcus and our Ward guests stayed to do some more planning. We brought Kate, Garrett, Tanya, Jacob, Carmen and Seth up to speed and all took an oath to keep the notion of a 'cure' amongst ourselves. Fuzzy bound us to the promise. Jacob's oath bound the rest of the wolfpack as well.

A few days later, our guests took their leave. Jacob and Tanya went back to San Francisco so that Jacob could figure out his next steps. It was likely he'd leave Google sometime soon so that he could relocate to be closer to the tribe, but he wanted to make sure he left them on good terms and did not burn any bridges. In the meantime, he planned to visit frequently and we all knew that the pack was in good hands with Seth leading in his absence.

Larry, Carmen, Eleazar, Kate and Garrett all headed to their respective homes. Larry was excited at his new prospects. It was clear that he would be an integral part of our future success and he was thrilled to be so valued. He marveled at the drastic change in his life when less than five years before he had been a slave.

Fuzzy, Buck, Rebecca, Aro and Marcus all left to return to Ward. Aro and Marcus would relocate back to their backwoods cabin and get ready for the onslaught of vampires who would soon descend upon the town.

"Arrivederci amici," Aro said, "Until we meet again. I look forward to seeing you soon."

"What he said," Marcus said with a smile as he turned to get in the car.

Rebecca and Buck waved and climbed in. Finally, Fuzzy ghosted to my side, took the kids off of his broad shoulders and set them down as they giggled. He clapped me on my shoulder, and then looked over at Bella who was standing near the car. "You lucked out, man." She grinned at him. Then he looked back at me. "And your kids are cool too."

He whistled and Aro's dog ran up and joined the others in the car. Then Fuzzy walked backward toward the car. "See you all soon," he said with a wave. He turned, hugged Bella and said with a chuckle, "I'm glad we didn't eat you back in 2001." Then he got into the driver's seat.

We all watched as they drove away. I looked around at my family and took a deep breath as a feeling of peace descended upon me. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie and Emmett all stood there looking at one another, a sense of relief coloring their mental tones as well. The kids giggled and then decided they wanted to play. They leapt after Emmett, who dodged them and took off with them chasing after him.

My gaze fell upon Bella and her eyes met mine. She walked slowly to me, smiling, and put her arm around my waist.

_Alone at last,_ I thought, putting my arm over her shoulder and kissing her hair.

_Not quite alone, Mr. Cullen,_ she thought, looking around at the family, making sure that Lucien was looking elsewhere. _But we will be later on tonight._ She raised an eyebrow and grinned, thinking wicked thoughts.

My wife.

My life.

My love.

_I'm so fucking lucky._

"We finally have a small reprieve from all this Prophecy stuff," I said. "So what would you like to do in the meantime?"

She turned to face me and pulled me close into an embrace. Wrapping her hands in my hair, she gently pulled me closer to her and she kissed me softly. Then she pulled back slightly to meet my gaze.

"Take me skating, Edward," she sighed, her eyes shining with love.

_As you wish, my sweet Bella._

_As you wish._

* * *

**A/N: "And, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."  
**

**The Beatles. Abbey Road. Song #16, entitled 'The End'. If you've never heard it, go listen on YouTube. Particularly to that ending. **

**Only the Epilogue remains. I will likely have a very long A/N there. **

**Thanks, as always, and more than ever, to her fabulousness, Irritable Grizzzly.**

**Please leave a review! **

_Post A/N: Italian phrases courtesy of Camilla10 once again (who has lovely stories over on Twilighted by 'Camilla'). Grazie, 'Camilla'._

_Scusatemi, bambini (Excuse me, kids)  
Sapevo che eri tu, quella. (I knew you were the one)  
Arrivederci amici (Goodbye my friends)_


	22. Epilogue – New World

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The content, ideas and intellectual property of this story and the 'American Vampire Series' in its entirety are owned by Just4ALE. 'World' lyrics by John Ondrasik, Five for Fighting.**

_A/N1: __I have a long A/N at the end. If you're one of those who skips those, then I ask now - please leave a review when you're done. _

_Now, on to the conclusion..._

_

* * *

_

**Epilogue – New World**

_What kind of world do you want?  
Think anything  
Let's start at the start  
Build a masterpiece  
Be careful what you wish for  
History starts now…_

_*#*_

November, 2020

It was yet another cold November day in Chicago. Having lived in Alaska, Washington and Massachusetts over the past several years, I was no stranger to cold days, but the cold never bothered me, and truthfully, the colder climates were better on my pale skin. I had to sit in the shade whenever I spent any length of time outside, or I'd get really tired.

I caught her scent even before I made it up the stairs to the lobby of the gothic Ida Noyes Hall. _Ah… so lovely._ Students were milling around but it cleared out rather quickly. I scanned around and saw the dark-haired young woman watching the activities in the large space known as the Great Hall. _There she is. Right on time._

I quickly made my way to the benches in the alcove to the right of her and sat down. I started to grade my papers, surreptitiously watching her. I heard her thoughts immediately.

_Wow._

_No kidding_, I thought, admiring the combination of her scent and her beauty.

Her energy bumped up a notch as she stood staring at the people inside the room, lost to the movement. She was starting to draw me in. It was time to make my move.

"Are you going to go in?" I asked.

She looked to her left and then to her right._ Was that directed at me?_ She saw me sitting on the benches._ Huh... he's__ redlining papers. __Grading them, maybe__? TF?_

She ignored me and turned back to peek into the room.

I addressed her again. "Well are you?"

She turned back to look at me. Her brown eyes met my gaze.

_Whoa! This guy is gorgeous! Oh my God. Look away… look away._

She turned away quickly and mumbled, "I'm thinking about it."

"What's stopping you?" I asked.

"Um, just assessing the situation," she responded quickly. _Can I do this? _

_Oh, my beauty, I sure hope so._

"Are you a student here?" I asked. Of course I already knew the answer; I was just leading her along.

She looked at me briefly, then turned again, focusing her attention on the room. "Yep. Are you a teacher?" she asked, still not looking my way.

"Yes, actually," I responded.

She continued to watch the activities in the room._ Wow, these folks are good._

She didn't notice that I got up and I was now standing next to her.

"So… what's stopping you?" I asked.

She did a double take as she looked at me.

_Holy cow, Mr. Gorgeous is right next to me! God he smells good, but he's just a little too close._

She took a step away. "Um, what do you mean?"

"Well, what are you assessing?"

_Jeez, Mr. Gorgeous is Mr. Nosy. _

"There aren't many men in that room," she said.

"Ah, well, more women do take the class than men," I said, "but I'm going to be in the next class and I'd be happy to partner with you… if you don't mind dancing with the teacher."

_Please say yes, please say yes._

Her eyes widened. _Okay. Mr. Gorgeous is Fred Astaire, apparently. __Damn, is he gay? _

"You're the 'beginners' ballroom dancing teacher?"

I smirked at her and was opening my mouth to respond when my phone rang. I looked at the Caller ID: Alice. I held one finger up to the young woman and she went to sit on the benches.

"Hi," I said softly.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Exactly as you envisioned," I responded, turning to look my new acquaintance. "Perfect."

She was perfect to me… dark brown eyes and hair. Her skin a lovely tan shade, clearly reflecting her ethnicity. Beautiful figure. Smelled soooo good.

I heard the smile in her voice. "I'm glad."

"Thanks for the tip, Aunt Alice."

"Any time, kiddo. Good luck!"

I ended the call and walked back toward her. "Sorry, that was my aunt. I must apologize. I've been rude, asking all these questions and not even introducing myself." I smiled and held out my hand. "I'm Lucien."

_Ho. Ly. Shit. What a smile Mr. Nosy Gorgeous has._

She blinked and then reached for my hand and said, "I'm Kiran."

Then she smiled.

Her smile was brighter than a thousand suns._ Oh my God. I'm a goner for sure… _I tried to maintain my composure._  
_

"Kiran… What an unusual name…"

She shrugged. "I know. I'm part Indian. The name means 'Ray of Light'." Then she laughed. "My parents were very optimistic about my future, I guess. Well, at least I know I'm their ray of light."

_You are definitely a ray of light, Kiran. _

_You will be mine._

~#~

Yeah, I asked Aunt Alice for help. I couldn't help it. After years of being the only non-mated member of my family – even Alena was married – I wondered if I was destined to be a bachelor forever.

But I'm getting ahead of myself…

The First Council at Ward began on January 29, 2010. The town was inundated with visitors; not only did all of the clan leaders show, but so did ALL of the nomads who had been at the 'Lake Crescent Convention', as it eventually became known.

Moreover, all clan members – including those not present at Lake Crescent – and other nomads from around the world, descended on that small Colorado town to learn about and discuss our future. All in all, we had over two thousand vampires in Ward at that historic first meeting, all bound by oath to keep our discussions private.

Looking back, it was a thrilling first meeting, although as halfling children, Alena and I only grasped a fraction of the significance and we missed part of the sessions since we literally slept through some of the meetings. The discussions ran for three days and nights and were held in the secret mine below the town.

While it was true there was a gold mine – the Ward vamps were secretly very wealthy despite the ghost town appearance – there was also a huge underground amphitheater that was a perfect meeting place. Aro and Marcus had had it built in the early nineties in preparation for this event.

The First Council discussions centered on our coming out. Everyone acknowledged that this was not something to be taken lightly. Many were tired of having to hide. They'd lived among humans for so long and wanted to stop masking their movements and behaviors. However, humans were irrational creatures who feared and often tried to destroy the unknown. It was generally accepted that unless handled carefully, mass knowledge of our kind could have devastating repercussions for us.

Unlike the standard sci-fi concept of First Contact, our concerns were not about language or technological differences; this wasn't about whether humans were too primitive to grasp what we were. Instead, our primary concerns were for the safety of our race and the social and ethical implications of our influence on humanity. Our family spent a lot of time discussing these issues in advance of the Ward meeting, so we were primed and ready to state our case.

"Look," Uncle Jasper stated, "we must approach this from a strategic and tactical perspective. Their initial reaction could be panic and we need to be prepared."

"They will already be in panic mode," Aunt Alice said. "Those diseases will be killing them off more quickly than in the past. Unlike the slow spread they are experiencing now, the diseases will attack the body quickly and terminate lives over a period of months rather than years. The 'WHO' - the World Health Organization - will be involved at that point."

"So what happens? We just come out of nowhere and say, 'Surprise! We're vampires and we have what you need?'" Julieta asked.

"Obviously not. We believe this will require a three-pronged approach." Grandpa Carlisle said. "First, diplomatic private pre-meetings with world leaders… and when we say 'private,' we mean they're getting a visit during the night from one of our more senior local representatives in that country," he said, pointing at Larry, Victoria, Vladimir, Stefan, Marcus, Aro and himself, among several other vampires that were centuries old.

"Our presence on this earth for centuries will show that we have co-existed with them for some time and the only harm that has come to them has been at their own hands."

Mom nodded. "Second, we need backing from the financial markets; we will have a research company that, like many biotechs, is working on curing diseases," she said. "Our company will be the successful one, and make a fortune for investors. The investors, in this case, will then be some of the most influential people of their time. Money talks and people will listen."

"Finally," Dad said, "coordination with the 'WHO'. Many labs will be furiously working to stop the spread of the diseases. Again, we'll just be one of them. The scientific community is often at odds with the current political powers. The fact that we have the cure and the financial and worldwide political backing to support us will make this a win on all fronts."

"What is to prevent the country leaders or any of these groups – financial or scientific – from turning on us and trying to betray us?" Victoria asked.

"Ah, because there will be no cure unless they take an oath, and the oath will be taken by the political leaders and the heads of their military," Aro said confidently.

"And what if they change leaders?" Chao asked.

"The signing of the document will bind the country's leadership," Fuzzy said with a smile. The group all turned to look at him. "Yep. I'm that good, folks," he said proudly.

"The real danger will come from religious extremists," Eleazar said. "We're not alive. There will be those who will preach that we are devils coming to tempt them with promises of heaven. On the other hand, there are others who will believe that we were actually sent from God to assist. In no way do we want to play into either side's views. We are just another race and we're trying to help humanity survive. I believe that must be our ongoing mantra."

"Nevertheless, we must be prepared. Our blood heals. If and when they figure that out, they might be tempted to try and kidnap vampires and take our blood," Jorge said.

"But vampire blood isn't like a standard drug; it must be given real-time in order to cure a human. They can't bottle it," Uncle Emmett stated.

"Okay, so not only will we need a team in charge of our security but it looks like we'll also need a public relations team to make sure humans are aware of exactly what we want them to know about us," Serena suggested. "How to kill a vampire and some of our more evolved powers – stay secret. What will be for public knowledge is that we are trying to save humanity, and hence are not savages who want to kill them."

"There is a broader social issue as well. The fact that our blood can cure may lead the humans to try to prolong their lives… to try to become immortal," Larry said. "However, the overpopulation of the human race will destroy the planet's ecosystem and the planet itself. If one looks at it from an evolutionary perspective, one might consider natural selection the entire reason for the various plagues and diseases that have occurred throughout human history. We must let some of of the effects of the disease actually happen to thin out the human population. It is the only way that humanity will survive."

"Unfortunately this means that until they're colonizing new planets or permanently living on star ships, we must let the disease run its course for a while before we step forward to assist." Mom said.

"Of course you know that they will assume that we're only doing this to be self-serving. The cynics will claim that we're only helping them so that we don't destroy our food supply," Rebecca said.

"To some extent they'd be correct," Grandpa answered. "However, that argument weakens when they know we can survive on animal blood. So while we don't want them to destroy themselves, their existence is important because of the impact on the environment and not merely because we drink their blood; if they die, it throws off the balance of nature."

What my family didn't say at that time was that this argument would be completely invalidated once the humans knew we were working on a cure for vampirism as well. However, as this was the first meeting, we decided to save that information for later, once we'd organized into the groups that would take the lead on the various aspects of vampire life.

During that historic weekend, a Leadership Council was formed; Uncle Emmett, Uncle Jasper, Chao, Vladimir, Hiroshi, and Victoria were all part the group that would try to ensure a coordinated effort across all other teams. They planned the future meetings to make sure we kept moving ahead so we would be ready for first contact.

The Security team, led by Fuzzy, included some of the most talented in our group: Corin, Maggie, Marco, Kate, and Zafrina. A few emotion readers and Chelsea were also among them.

The Marketing/Public Relations team – led by Serena – included Aunt Rosalie, Benjamin, Tanya, Siobhan, and Randall. Their purpose was, as Serena suggested, to make sure the only information the humans received is what we wanted them to.

The 'X-Files' team, led by Aunt Alice, would research unexplained phenomenon in an effort to keep Alice's visions clear. If there were six-foot invisible rabbits out there, she wanted to know about them. Grandma Esme, Peter, and Eleazar all volunteered for the team.

At first, I was a bit surprised that Dad, Mom and Grandpa did not volunteer to be on one of the teams. However, once I learned what Dad had planned, no one could fault them.

Shortly after the Ward meetings, Dad started his own laboratory, which he affectionately called CEL-LABs: an acronym which stood for Carlisle, Edward, Larry, Lucien, Alena, and Bella. As this collective team would represent both the researchers and the research itself, he felt it only appropriate to name the Company after all of us.

Dad started the lab in Seattle, but also obtained property in Boston/Cambridge's 'Biotech Alley' and bought out the lab he had part ownership of in Chicago. Aunt Alice had counseled and Dad agreed that having facilities across the country would provide flexibility for us to move as needed, and make sure the project was still underway.

One of the first things Dad, Grandpa Carlisle and Larry did was gather samples of blood from every vampire who'd been at Ward. They knew they'd need it eventually not only to test for the human cures, but also to use to test for the vampire cure. They gathered samples of our blood – Mom's, Alena's and mine – more regularly. They all agreed that it was important to monitor any changes, particularly in Alena and me, as we were growing and changing every day.

Over the approximately 2.25 years that followed the First Council at Ward, Alena and I grew quickly. Okay, quickly was an understatement. After all, a year after our birth, we were physically age five.

When we hit two and a half in human years, we began our formative and hormonal teen years. Given my gift for mind reading, puberty was a little tougher on me than on Alena. I had heard my family's thoughts before, but never really understood all of it until I had these raging hormones going on and a bunch of very horny vampires around me all the time.

While I tried to shield the goings-on from Alena, she would get a mind-full every once in a while. The bad news was that we had to hear this when it was all we could think about, and yet neither of us had someone with which to use up those teenage hormones. The good news is we went through sex education class without any of the adults having to sit down and give us "the talk".

We tried to channel our frustration into our school work and other aspects of home life. By that point, we were fluent not only in Italian, but French and Spanish, and we were learning Chinese. We had taken most of the advanced math and science classes. Uncle Emmett kept us fit and toned. We each learned an instrument: piano for Alena and violin for me. We were both accomplished dancers, spending quality time in the studio with Mom and Dad, learning all kinds of ballroom dancing.

Of course quite frequently, the studio was off-limits to us, as Mom and Dad sent us packing back to the house to be with the rest of the family. Eventually, I picked up on the fact that when Dad thought '_let's get ready to rhumbaaaa_!' at Mom, uh, he wasn't necessarily talking about dancing.

At about three and three-quarter years after our birth, we were adults. Unfortunately, because we hadn't shown any real signs of vampirism during our childhood – no blood thirst, all human actions – this meant upon adulthood, we turned. The venom kicked in overnight all over our bodies and burned us alive for a day.

Oh, it was HORRIBLE.

Let's leave it at that.

Learning to live with our new diet and cravings was a bit easier on us than other vampires, so we were told… over, and over, and over. Mom was completely sympathetic to our frustration at hearing how easy we had it, but neither Alena nor I were as controlled as Mom had been at her turning. She had walked among humans within two weeks of turning. Holy cow, that was an accomplishment! Alena and I couldn't see Grandpa Charlie, Grandma Sue, Billy or any of the wolfpack on our own for at least two months after we turned.

Shortly after my turning, I found that my mind-reading skills seemed to expand and within a month, I realized that I was hearing everyone around me. My mind reading had grown to match Dad's abilities; I no longer had to look at someone to hear them. Moreover, Alena's and my telekinesis and power transference seemed stronger.

As we had been home-schooled, we took the tests for our GEDs and obviously passed with flying colors. However, given our brief history interacting with other humans, we had little to show on our college applications other than our outstanding test scores and a list of talents and hobbies.

The Ivy Leagues wanted students that had made an impact somehow, whether in depth and recognition in a sport or instrument, or in breadth and involvement in their school or community, so Alena and I spent a year doing volunteer work in Africa. When we returned, we went off to Harvard in the fall of 2013 and whipped through the undergrad and master's program in four years, including a year abroad in Paris for Alena.

Alena turned out to be quite the charmer. Over our first year, she and I were almost exact copies of our mom and dad, respectively, but as we aged, the features of the other parent emerged. As beautiful as Mom, but slightly different due to acquiring some of Dad's features, she had boys drooling after her in college. While she dated, she never had any interest in them. Truth be told, she still harbored her crush on Seth… but he never gave her anything other than a friendship…

… that was until she came back from her year abroad in France.

Much to Alice's delight, Alena came back looking like a runway model, with new stylish French clothes and her hair trimmed slightly shorter than Mom's. The family held a welcome home party for her and it was going swimmingly until Seth and the wolfpack arrived for the party.

The boys walked in and were putting their presents for her on the side table when Mom and Alena walked in with a platter of food for the wolves. Dressed simply in jeans, a v-neck forest green top that complemented the natural bronze tints in her hair, and black leather knee-high boots, Alena looked stunning as she walked by the boys with a big smile.

We thought Seth was having seizure. As it turns out, he took one look at her and imprinted. He no longer thought of her as a little girl, much to her delight.

Of course, she played it cool and talked about her French boyfriends and the ones back at Harvard. She let him suffer for a few weeks, pretending that his gestures of flowers and invitations to the movies meant nothing more to her than those of a friend. However, seeing how sweet – and obviously confused – he was, she stopped teasing him and happily acquiesced to his attentions.

They married in August 2016, right before we headed back to Cambridge for our Master's programs. Unable to be separated for a whole year, Seth came too and they moved into one of our houses in Cambridge. With Jacob and Tanya already married and living back in Forks, the wolfpack had its leader ready, willing and able to do his part for the tribe.

So over the next few years, with everyone paired up, I became achingly lonely. There was so much genuine love that I experienced through my mental connections with Mom, Dad and Alena – leaving aside the rest of my family – I wasn't sure it would happen for me.

Alena had been in love with Seth since she was physically four-years-old and it worked out for her; when would it be my turn? Logically, I knew that compared to my dad and grandpa Carlisle, my few years with no mate was nothing, but hanging around them all and hearing them could sometimes be torture.

Therefore, I asked our family oracle and she was able to tell me the _who_ and the _when_. I enrolled at the University of Chicago to study hematology as well – the better to help out with the research after all – and met Kiran there. She happened to be enrolled in the biology program herself.

Yes, Aunt Alice told me who she'd be and when I'd meet her. What she neglected to tell me was that the _how_ would be difficult. Unlike Mom, Kiran was not into otherworldly creatures. As you might imagine, finding out your boyfriend is a vampire five months into your relationship when he almost bites you in a passionate moment can be a bit of a shock. I had been meaning to tell her, but I hadn't figured out the right way to do it. Unfortunately, the way she found out was completely wrong.

She left me alone and miserable for two months. I barely made it through. Alena and Seth came to stay with me, as did Mom and Grandma Esme. However, one day Kiran stood showed up at my apartment, crying and shaking. She'd decided that she loved me for who I was and not what I was, and that was all I needed to hear. At her request, I turned her immediately and we took the first trimester off to let her adjust to her diet. By the time the winter trimester began, she was ready to be among humans again.

Throughout all our relationship drama, Mom had continued with her choreography; in fact, she began shortly after the First Council in Ward and within the following three years, created another two shows for Cirque. In addition, she remained dancing advisor to many stars.

An interesting thing happened at one of her new shows. Mom's college roommate, Nicole, flew out from New York for the "Queen"-themed show opening in Las Vegas the year we started at Harvard. It was there that she met Larry for the first time and for both of them it was love at first sight. I remember meeting Nicole when I was a little boy and always hearing her mutter about finding herself a vampire, so Mom was thrilled that Nicole finally fulfilled her wishes. When Larry turned her, Nicole was physically age 35, as was he. They shared a fluency in French, a love of reading and history and a deep love for each other. Well matched, well mated.

After fielding more and more questions about whether any of this research could actually be used to help us – at least help those who no longer wanted to be vampires – we came together en-masse again in Ward in 2022 to discuss the vampire conversion drug.

It was handled very carefully, as to not upset those who would look upon it as a statement that something was wrong with them. There were quite a few vampires who liked being vampires after all. The discussions went well and the group eventually came to an agreement not to judge either side for their eventual choices, should a conversion drug actually be produced.

In 2024, as the human diseases ravaged the planet, CEL-LABs had a breakthrough… well, two breakthroughs. Using some of the newer techniques that Kiran and I had learned and then modified in our studies at U of C, we found the cures… for AIDS, cancer… and vampirism, to some extent.

The vampire conversion drug took longer to test and make. We tested it on the various vampire blood samples we'd collected over the years to see if there was a difference in impact for those who had lived longer versus relatively younger vampires. By the time it was ready, we'd figured out several things:

1. It would not turn the vampire into a human and then have the vampire die immediately.

2. Once human, the standard human frailties kicked in; if one was more susceptible to an ailment, it could kill them, just like any other human.

3. There were some for whom it just wouldn't work.

Grandma Esme was a little concerned that her children would up and take the drug, breaking up the family. However, at that time the only one who really considered it was Aunt Rosalie. She viewed it as her chance to live the life she had once wanted, and Uncle Emmett was willing to go along with her.

But a vision from Aunt Alice effectively stopped their decision. We learned that Aunt Rosalie would die during childbirth if Uncle Emmett stayed a vampire, which would have to happen because his human future was bleak. He would succumb to a rare disease, one for which we would not have a cure. Knowing that her choice was a child or her soul mate, Aunt Rosalie chose to stay vampire.

The coming out of vampires occurred in 2027 and it happened as we planned. After the initial shock and panic, and the accusations of being self-serving, which did in fact go away when they realized we'd been working on the conversion drug, life got a little hectic. We were exceedingly rich due to the lab which then pioneered other new studies to help the human race thrive. A lot of our money went to the Cullen Foundation, which worked on other necessary projects such as world education and helping reverse the global warming trends. Vampires won the Nobel Peace prize later that year and a new day was forged as we worked with humans to create a better planet for us all.

After a few years, the chaos settled down a bit. We went on to live our normal lives, no longer having to deal with paparazzi trying to be in our faces 24/7. Our special talents... well, to be blunt: we Jedi mind-tricked them into leaving us alone.

Which leads me to now. November, 2035.

As I pulled the car up the long driveway to the Forks home, I could see that Alena and Seth had already arrived. The house was a bustle of activity as they were setting up inside for a combination reunion and anniversary party for Mom and Dad. Mom saw us and put down the box she was lugging to come hug us. Dad stepped out of the house and made his way down the stairs to greet us as well. Then the rest of the family came out and hugs and kisses were shared.

As was typical, our parents were in fine form. Dad seemed particularly 'fidgety' for some reason. A combination of excitement and frustration was coloring his mental tone.

"Bella, Sweetness, did you get Charlie's old house ready for the guests?"

Mom sighed. "Yes, Edward."

"What about food? Do we have enough food for Angela and Ben and their kids? Or for Charlie, Sue, Billy and Paul, Quil and Jared and their wives?"

"Yes, of course! Jesus, Edward! Rosalie and I have it handled. Relax!"

"Your mind is closed," he said in a disapproving tone. "How would I know?"

"Maybe I'm trying to surprise you for your anniversary, Mr. Cullen. You don't have to know every thought, my friend."

"I beg to differ, Mrs. Cullen," he said, stepping close to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck. "You are mine, your body is mine. By extension, your thoughts are mine."

"Jeez, he's a bossy one," she said, looking at us and gesturing at Dad with her hand. She loosened herself from his grip and stepped away a little as she turned to face him. Holding her hands out in front of her, she quickly bowed up and down a few times in mock reverence. "Yes, oh Master."

His reaction was instant. Dad's posture went rigid as he stared straight at Mom, his hands clenching in fists. Her head bobbed up to meet his gaze.

Uncle Jasper groaned. "Aw, shit. Edward has another trigger word."

Mom's eyes were big as she looked from Jasper to Dad. Her face was in shock as she clearly registered and absorbed his lust. She slowly started backing away from him but he kept pace with her.

_Edward, are you kidding me? Luc and 'Lena are RIGHT THERE!_

"They're adults," he growled. Without taking his eyes off of her, he continued to stalk toward her. "Kids, welcome home. We're going to the studio. We'll see you tomorrow."

He ghosted to Mom, threw her over his shoulder and took off. I heard his thoughts as he ran off with her.

_A tied up Bella is Edward's fave, as she becomes his willing slave..._

Mom laughed. _Promises, promises, Mr. Cullen._

_Ah, my love, you know I always make good on my promises._

I closed my eyes. Thank goodness I was used to hearing my family's inner naughty thoughts by now and was somewhat immune.

Somewhat.

I opened my eyes and noticed the rest of the family chuckling as they stared off in the direction of the studio.

Emmett shook his head. "MASTER! I'm tellin' ya, those two have a playroom somewhere on this property and they're SAFEWORDING in it. I just KNOW it. I'll betcha there's a secret panel in the studio with all kinds of whips and shit hiding there."

"Ugh, Uncle Emmett! That's our mom and dad you're talking about! TMI!" Alena yelped.

"Come on in, kids," Grandma Esme said. "Let's get you settled in and then we can visit. Hopefully, you'll see your mom and dad before the party."

"They'll be back tomorrow morning," Aunt Alice said giggling. "Thankfully most of the rest of the guests won't be arriving until Saturday."

"Will Benjamin and Tia be joining us?" Alena asked.

"Yes, they're coming in tomorrow night."

Alena grinned at me. _Maybe we can get Benjamin to make an ice storm so that we can freeze the lake for Mom._ She turned, reached for Seth's hand and walked up the porch.

I looked at Kiran, who smiled at me, enjoying the interaction between Alena and myself. She couldn't hear us, but she knew we were chatting. I kissed her softly, put my arm over her shoulder, and followed the rest of the family into the house. As we reached the front door, I paused and looked over at the annex that housed the studio.

_Thirty years married and nothing has changed._

Yeah, I was sure Dad would love to take Mom skating.

_As you wish, Alena_, I thought as we stepped inside.

_As you wish._

_The End_

_

* * *

_

**A/N2: Wow. It is done. And while there are obviously threads for a follow-up story based on what I've outlined here, I have no immediate plans to do so. I do have a one-shot posted… what I'm calling an 'alternate route for An American Vampire in Chicago' . But a full blown story, not so much. For now, I leave my version of the Cullen-extended family in peace.**

**Quick note: An American Vampire in Chicago WON 2 Indie TwiFic Awards in the Winter 2010 competition! Yay! Thank you to all of you who voted for it!  
**

**Soooo, maybe it is too much but after 10 months of working on these stories, I need to hand out some thank yous. **

**If you don't want to read the rest, I thank you so much for reading and humbly ask that you PLEASE:**

**1. jump down to that little review button;  
2. click on it; and  
3. leave a review. **

**Otherwise, read on…**

Are you still there? Okay:

_I have much affection for several of my characters because they are based on real friends. For that I thank the real life Jacob, Angela, Serena and Nicole for inspiring the characters in the stories.  
_

_Irritable Grizzzly talked me into trying a Beta, went back and beta-ed the first three stories for me to familiarize herself with the series, and then took on this monster. I appreciate the effort, particularly since she doesn't love vampire stories AND she's now the Beta for about 25 other stories. Thank you, IG, from the bottom of my butt (it's bigger than my heart). You da woman!_

_My FF bud, MrsEdwardCullenP, was the flight crew on BTVAV, acting as my sounding board for some of the crazier ideas, helping me with kids and ancient names, and pre-reading any particularly citrusy or emotional pieces to make sure it was okay. Big epharisto to her, as always. MUAH, Pen. _

_Thanks to three readers for very specific support: selena972 (French translations), Camilla10 (Italian translations) and rfraga for my banners over at Twilighted. Check out Camilla10's stories here and on Twilighted (as just 'Camilla' over there)._

_And finally, thanks to all of you who took the time to read it. While my pen name tells you exactly for whom I started writing, your reviews and PMs kept it fun for me (except when you bitched at me during the separation in COTV... *shudders*) So again, big thanks to you. _

_I do plan on writing a little more so put me on author alert and we'll see what my crazy brain comes up with next. My human story, Tunes with Tony Masen, is currently underway here on this site.  
_

_As is typical, I ask and I respectfully hope that you'll acquiesce to my plea: _

_Please leave a review._

_I close with yet another quote from Douglas Adams: _

_"So long, and thanks for all the fish."_

_ALE_


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